How The News Came To Auckland.

An event which caused a great stir in Auckland, and in fact, throughout the colony, was the massacre of settlers at Poverty Bay by Te Kooti and his murderous band in December, 1868. The news of this horror was brought to Auckland by the Lord Ashley (Captan Worsp). She used to tie up on the western side of the old Queen Street wharf, but on this occasion I was alongside before she rounded the jetty. Mr. Moss, the purser, who had been on the coast for a number of years, was an old friend of mine, and when I went alongside he shouted: "Catch this and pull for your life." And I did not wait to hear any more, but got ashore and ran as hard as I could for the office—I was on the 'Herald' when this happened. We went at it right away, and brought out a really good edition, and before the other reporters had collected their information from the people on board the "Lord Ashley" we were selling the "Herald" in the street. The papers then publishing were the "Herald," the "Southern Cross" and the "Evening News." It was a great scoop for the "Herald," and we came in for a good deal of commendation for our smartness in getting out such an account in such a short while.