IN BYGONE DAYS.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXV, Issue 10306, 15 January 1927, Page 10

IN BYGONE DAYS.

PURCHASE OF NATIVE LANDS. MISSING WITH £6OOO OF CROWN MONEYS. NEAIvLF PUT UNDER LOCK AND KE Y I HOW THE CASH WAS. PAID OUT. (By JOSEPH E. DALTON, of Tolaga Bay.) In the early ’7o’,s I was engaged as Assistant Land Purchaser. Mr. Bissenden was my chief. We had purchased Native "lands from Whangarei almost’ to the North Cape. Among other blocks we had arranged for was a large one in the Hokianga district. The Native Land Court had sat at Rawene, Judge Munroe presiding; the ownership had been determined and the Natives were awaiting paymnt. Mr. Brissenden instructed me to meet him in Auckland, which 1 did, and together we went to the Bank of New Zealand and drew out some £6OOO mostly in books containing one hundred one-pound notes. My instructions were to proceed at once to Hokianga and there pay the Native owners in the presence of Judge Munroe, who was waiting there for the purpose of witnessing the payment of the money. Booking my passage to Kororareka in the s.s. Bogiua. I handed my luggage to Captain McGregor and away we~ went. It was blowing a stiff breeze from the N.E. and a heavy swell was running which caused our propeller to race in a most annoying manner. On arriving off Cape Brett our little steamer was making heavy weather of it, pitching considerably as she met the seas. Still we kept on making scarcely any headway against tiie wind, which had increased to a gale, when all of a sudden meeting an extra heavy swell, away went our propeller. Here was trouble! What was to be done? We did not carry sufficient canvas to beat into the Bay, so our captain did the only thing that' was possible in face of the heavy gale that was blowing—watched "his chance and turned the little steamer’s tail on to the .gale and ran before it back to Auckland. On our arriving inside Rangitoto, we found it impossible to beat up the harbor, so, following our course, we entered Tamaki, where we anchored, glad enough to get shelter from the howling gale which was blowing outside.

Consulting with the captain as to the best tiling for me to do, he replied: ‘lf I. were you I should take the first craft going north, as it will be some considerable time before 1 am ready for sea again.” Lying close to us was a scow also sheltering from the gale. This the captain hailed and enquired as to whither they were hound. ‘‘Whangamumu,” came the reply. “There is your chance.” said the captain. ‘‘l’ll lower a boat and you go on board and arrange lor a passage.” This I did and, alter explaining how anxious j. was to get north as quickly as possible, they kindly consented to take me. Transfer-ring my valuable swag to the scow, I wished my former companions good-bye. During the night, the gale blewitself out, ana we made a .start only to get as far as ivauau, where we had to shelter, and were kept there for four days. Again wo started. If Fortune followed us. but instead cf a gale we bad nothing but light head winds and calms. Then drifting about fur nearly a week, wc found ourselves off AVhangaruru. some few miles south of Whongamumu. The skipper of the scow offered to laud me. stating that, if similar weather continued, he did not know when he could get to Whangemumu. Feeling sure iliac I

could hire a couple of Natives to assist me in carrying my precious burden, I -landed, but it took me two lull days to persuade a couple of muscular Natives to accompany me over the rough bush track to Kororacroka (Bussell). After a weary tramp I was 'glad of the prospect of ;t hearty meal and it good bed.

Almost the first person I met demanded my name and where 1 had come from. Thinking it was rather a piece of impertinence, I answered him in a rather casual manner, when he said: “Look here young fellow, i have been watching for you. You had better come with me quickly. 1 don’t want trouble, but you had better come with me.” Not unrerstanding what he meant, I was for the moment flabbergasted. Recovering myself, I demanded wlutt lie wanted with me and who he was. He replied: “Your name is Dalton, is it not? YYhat have you done with all that Government money that you got from the bank in Auckland? 1 am the local constable and you had better make no noise about it.” I was completely taken aback at first, but soon decided that he was only doing what lie thought was his duty. “Yury weii,” 1 replied, “J will go with you, but first come with me to the landlord. (I had given mv belongings to him for safe keeping, a If you want me after seeing him .! will go with you as quietly as you like." Asking the landlord to produce my swags, I opened them when, on seeing their contents, the constable uttered an exclamation ol surprise, and the astonished look on his face was a sufficient recompense for the annoyance he had given me. So, instead of partaking of his hospitality, he became my guest at the bar. It appeared that, owing to my being so long on my journey ana not being able to communicate in any way, the heads had become anxious, not on my personal account, but lor the large amount of money I had in mv charge. Consequently enquiries as to my whereabouts had been hying all over the country.

The next morning I. crossed the harbor by boat and procured horses from Mr. Gofie, who kept the accommodation house at YYaitangi. . I proceeded on my way to Te Taihckc, where I again took boat to Rawene, arriving at last satcly with my valuable cargo, mtlch to the satisfaction of Judge Munroe, who had been waiting days for me. The following morning we called a Inti of the Natives and the conveyance was read over and explained to each Native as he signed. The money, in the meantime, had been placed in front of the chief. On the signing having been completed, the old chief proceeded’ to apportion the cash among the several owners, calling upon each by name to come and receive Ins share." This went on until. I. noticed that the whole amount had been exhausted and the old fellow retained no part for himself. This (• d not appear to trouble the old mail, v. ho leaned quietly back smoking his short T.D. Soon I noticed one Native walk quietly up and deposit a bundle of notes in front of the chief, then another, and so on until the heap of money in front of the old tattooed ran "Mir a was the major part of the monev that had been paid for the block. All this went on without the old man ever turning his head or appearing to take the slikhtest interest in what was happening. This was the way of the old-time chief ; it Was the usual custom for it showed that the chief placed-confidence in his followers, and that they acknowledged his man a generally. My experience tells me that things have changed greatly in these times —the maim of the chief, like many other of their old customs, has become a thing of the past. The excessive tnpu of the. tohunga, although still believed in to some exten.trhas not the much dreaded power that it, had not so very long ago. Even during the last two decades T had experience of it. My old and

much-tattooed friend Wiki Matauru, of Horoera, used to pay me weekly i visits while ,1 had Te Palcihi and to ; make sure 1 had not trespassed on l any of the Ahi taitai (spots where sac- / red rites had been performed). He j was greatly concerned le t sb I, in mv - ignorance, might chance to walk over ; or interfere with any of these tapu j places. He assured me if I did some ‘ (lire calamity would quickly overtake me. He illustrated an instance of one women then living at Horoera, whose fingers had withered up • through her plucking some of the | herbage which grew on one of these j places. ,T met the woman and 1 asked . her to show me her hands. It was one of the most awful sights I think I over saw. They were not hands; they were more like claws, for they were twisted out of all shape and the skin was like dried-up; -parchment. She herself thoroughly believed that her trespassing on one of these ant taitai was the cause. I myself put it down to a clear case of leprosy. The poor woman is dead now and I have no doubt it was a merciful relief. I am always very much interested when reading the account of the “Game of Games” which appear in your paper, being an old cricketer from my early youth until well over sixty. I feel greatly pleased to notice" the growysig interest that is being taken in the great game —both in Poverty Bay and on our Coast. Speaking of cricket puts me in mind of a match as played in Gisborne in 1.881 or 1882. The hotelkeepers challenged us, the licensed interpreters, to a match, which we willingly accepted. Our team consisted of Wood, J, Mackay, I. Brooking, Large, J. Carrok, F. Jones, W. Rees (who although not a licensed interpreter was connected with Native business), Edward Harris, Lang, myself, and Porter. I have forgotten the names of some of our opponents, but among others were Crawford, Dickson, Martin, Aislabie and Page. It was a most enjoyable game and simplv delighted the crowd, and I am sure "if Hobbs, Sutcliffe, Ponsford, etc., had been present to witness our fancy cuts, drives, or glances they would not be to the tore, as they are j at the present time. This match was J the cue topic of interest for days be- | fore and alter it took place, as many j an old Gisborne idontiy will rmem- J her.- The townspeople flocked to the j ground, where they not only witness- j ed a most scientific exhibition, but ; were freely invited to allay their i thirst from the ample supply ot h- j quid refreushments our challengers had thoughtfully provided on the ground. Photographs of the contesting teams wore taken by Mr. C. Brown, which, for years, occupied either wall of Dickson’s Argyle Hotel. Who were the victors I cannot say. It did not matter; I even now cannot tell as my memory is not sufficient!',- accurate to say positively. I think' wc called it a draw, as I have a dim recollection that it was so called in some of the speeches that were delivered during the evening. But time rolls on and takes its toll of us humans, and I hesitate to think hov very few besides myself are left of those who so excelled themselves in that eventful occasion.