“GISBORNE."

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 411, 1 February 1890, Page 2

“GISBORNE."

GISBORNE is sometimes badly treated with regard to the notice it receives in current publications. From the Auckland Star office there has been issued a “New Zealand Exhibition and Jubilee Chronicle," a beautiful production so far as the illustrations and letterpress work are concerned, but we are sorry that regarding the literary work so far as the East Coast is concerned we cannot say much in commendation of the Jubilee Chronicle, The publisher has shown much enterprise, but tor a work that is intended to be a historical record accuracy should be a leading feature. In one publication from Mr Brett’s office we notice that Gisborne is described as being a place ten miles from Matawhero. Such a description to anyone who knows the place is ridiculous, but as everyone does not know the place it is vexatious. In the Jubilee Chronicle a description of Gisborne is given with such incompleteness as to be undeserving of the name of description. It is very unjust to the place. This is the skimpy fashion in which Gisborne is dismissed I —

Gisborne is a pretty little town lying in a bay, which Captain Cook called Poverty Bay. Far from the name being warranted the country all round Gisborne has extremely rich soil, and the produce of the district is largo and varied. The town itsolf is prettily laid out with shell-covered walks and trees, and the whole air of the town is one of the usual rustic villages whose interests and tastes are knit up with the tillers of the soil.

It is a place of some interest in regard to the Maori war, for here took place one of the most fearful occurrences of the time, a massacre equalled only by the stories of Cawnpore and of Calcutta for the fiendish slaughter of women and children. Te Kooti, a great rangitira, had been taken prisoner and had been sent with a number of other Maoris to the penal settlement of Chatham Island. One’day, when a email sehocner was lying in port, the Maoris mutinied, tied up the officials, seized the schooner, and sailed to Poverty Bay, where they committed the awful carnage. Besides a free library of 1,200 volumes, Gisborne has four churchesjand many other public buidings of note. The great export of this flourishing district, besides a considerable quantity of wool, is maize, produced in great abundance by the fertile land in the neighborhood. There are also several good butter and cheese factories in full swing, and this promises to be one of the leading products. A harbor is being slowly constructed by the building of a breakwater to protect the little bay from the heavy roll of the Pacific under the influence of an easterly (sic) gala, and this work promises well, and will give to the town the only thing wanted to promote a rapid prosperity—regular communication with the outer world at a small cost

The above is a complete reprint, and we must say unless the place can receive a better description it would be better left unnoticed, The reference to Te Kooti as a “ great rangitira” betrays astonishing ignorance, and terrible as the massacre was the comparison to Cawnpore and Calcutta can do no good. We hope that in future publications from Mr Brett’s office the district will he more fairly treated.