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Historical Records of New Zealand South

It's First European Settler

It's First European Settler.

In 1823 a singular episode of the early European period came to light. One James Caddel turned up in Sydney, and rendered an extraordinary account of himself. He claimed to have been a sailor lad on board the Sydney Cove, a trading craft which in 1807 or thereabout was seized by the natives at South Cape; the crew massacred—he being sole survivor. He accounted for his preservation as follows:—In the desperation of his circumstances he ran to and caught hold of the mat of a native chief. The latter being under "tapu," its immunities communicated themselves to the lad. In that way his life was spared, and he consorted with the natives; eventually marrying the chief's daughter. He names a well-known sealer craft—Sydney Cove—which was undoubtedly on the coast at and about the time indicated. No mention is made of the seizure in the Records of 1807, and nothing is heard of it for a period of 16 years: until Caddel himself turned up as stated. The Record narrative of his adventures is given in the Sydney Gazette, April 3, 1823, and reads as follows:—"Arrived, the colonial cutter Snapper (Edwardson, master), after an absence of nearly five months. She brings from New Zealand two chiefs, one of whom is accompanied by his wife. One is a youth of about 16, and the other 30 years' old. The name of the latter is James Caddel, an Englishman by birth, and whose history is briefly as follows: In 1807, or thereabout, the ship Sydney Cove, a sealer, out of this port, was cruising off the Bay of Islands, and had either stationed or despatched a boat's crew, consisting of five hands and a boy (James Caddel, the present chief), to one of the islands in quest of seals. The boat was taken by the savages in the vicinity of the Southern Cape, and the hapless men, with the exception of Caddel, were killed and eaten. Fortunately, in his fright, the boy flew to an old chief for mercy, and happened to touch his kak-ka-ka (the outward mat of the chief), and thus his life became preserved, as his person was then held to be sacred. Being in too distant a part of New Zealand to indulge the hope of hastily escaping from a wretched captivity, Caddel became resigned to his apparent destiny, and insensibly adopted the manners and customs of the natives. About nine years since, he was allied to the chief's daughter, who also is sister to a chief, and by the twofold tie he became a prince of no small influence amongst such subjects as these barbarous despots are destined, in the present constitution of things, to have the control of…. Caddel was in pursuit, with some other chiefs, of any boats or gangs that might unfortunately become subject to their capture page 99when Captain Edwardson succeeded in taking him. Just before, a boat belonging to the General Gates (American), which vessel Captain Edwardson parted from on the 26th December last, had been taken, but the crew fortunately escaped. Caddel lost his own language, as well as European customs, and soon became transformed from the English sailor boy into the dauntless and terrifying New Zealand chief. It required some argumentation to induce him to visit New South Wales, and he would not have come without his partner, to whom he appears to be tenderly attached. For some days he paraded our streets with his princess in the New Zealand costume, but now, we believe, he seems inclined to return to civilised life, of which none can estimate the comforts but those that enjoy them. They will return to their own country."

The Snapper referred to in the foregoing took with her from New Zealand a ton of prepared flax, reported to "surpass anything of the kind produced in the known world." It was grown on the New River Estuary, at Turangi-te-waru, now the site of Invercargill. As well as can be made out, the word or, rather, phrase signified the place "of ancient date," where they "scraped" (flax). In that case superiority in its flax-growths would be the early distinction of the now distinguished City of Invercargill.

Captain Edwardson, of the Snapper, of whom we will learn more anon, must have been a man of superior intelligence. We are told he had been at great pains to inform himself as to the manners, customs, and religion of the many tribes he visited; and had also collected curiosities of almost every kind that these hitherto unfrequented parts produced. We (Sydney Gazette, April 3, 1823) are led to anticipate at no distant date something of an ample account of the interesting voyage the Snapper has just returned from.