Life on Sunday Island.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 452, 10 May 1890, Page 3

Life on Sunday Island.

A DISHEARTENING PICTURE—A BAD FAILURE. AN INTERESTING ACCOUNT. (NAPIER NEWS.) One of the recently returned Kermadec settlers, Mr Beckett, has arrived in Napier and, at our request, has furnished us with some information regarding the experiences' of those who were foolish enough to embark in that il’-starred enterprise known as The K-r--ruadec Settlement Association. Mr Beckett, who is well known here as an industrious, reliable young man tells a remarkable story Misfortune seemed to dog the steps of the settlers from the very day they landed on the island. In the landing itself several cases of stores were lost owing to the high sea, and it was lucky indeed that there was no loss of lite. Once on shore huts were built and tents erected, and the set tlers proceeded to examine the character of the land. It appears that the only really decent land on the island is in the occupation of Mr Bell, who, with his family, has lived there for several years. The Association’s land at Denham Bay was found to be a tract about a mile and a quarter long by about 500 yards wide in the widest point. The land is mere pumice and shingle, covered in some places with poukatawha. There are a few banana shrubs, but Mr Beckett says the few bunches they produced would not fetch a pound a ton in a Napier shop. One of the first things done was to plant the seeds brought from New Zealand. Unfortunately, whether they were of inferior quality or whether the land was poor, the seeds produced no goo! thing. A few miserable looking kumaras, so stunted that tbe most hunger stricken Maoii would turn up his nose at them, w. re grown, but the potatoes were alm. st a complete failure. The boas ed fertility of the soil—vide Mr Percy Smith's report—was a missing quantity. Nothing seemed to turn out well. What few vegetables were grown were eaten up by caterpillars or devoured by rate, vast h rds of whch nightly descended upon the plantations. In keeping with the whole character of the island the rata are small mean-looking creatures, who must have hailed the arrival of the settlers as a bountiful intervention of Providence on their behalf. The caterpillars, says Mr Beckett, were something • awful; Scarcely did a plant of any kind show its head above the ground than it was at once their prey, and they denuded it of its smallest leaf.

The settlers soon ■ found that they would have to look for their meat supply to the gnats, of which there are a fair number on the island. A good portion of the time was spent in goat hunting, and as can be easily imagined, a continuous diet of goat is apt to become monotonous. The flesh was so detestably tough that tbe ouly way of miking It palatable was to stew it, and as there were no vegetables to accompany it, it was a poor substitute for the good juicy mutton the settlers had been accustomed to.

The mutton birds, upon which Mr Bell and his family mainly exist, are only available at one season of the year. Mr Bell has some 150 sheep, but rarely kills one. The settlers, however, speak in high terms of his kindness and that of his wife and family. They cheerfully rendered very valuable assistance to settlers, some of whom must almost have starved had it not been for their aid.

Boots and shoes, it appears, are a superfluity on the island, the rough pumice weaiing the toughest shooter out in a few days. After the first fortnight all the men and children went bqre-footed, and Mr Beckett is of opinion that he coaid almost dare to walk on hot bricks, so tough are his ‘ understandings.’ The settlers were never a very happy family. There were too many who were anxious to be ‘ boss,' and disagreements soon became the order of the day. It must be confessed that Mr Beckett looks the picture of good health, and that, al.h >ngh the 1 tucker ’ was not what the average New Zealander likes best, it has not disagreed with him.

Mr Beckett says that Mr Hovell did his very best to make things go well, There was no doubt he, Mr Ejovpll, had been very much deceive!, but he bore up cheerfully, as did Mrs Hoveli, who worked hard, and rj whom Mr Beckett cannot find words enough for her praise, The olimate is beautiful, except during the hurricane season, when both wind and rain do great damage. The rainfall is during this season something astounding. In one night ■from 8 o’clock to 6 o’clock the next morning, the rain gusge on one occasion showed a rainfall of 3J inches. The wind on another occasion was so violent that the settlers could not venture out of their hute and tents. The Bell girls astonished the settlers by their great strength. The eldest Miss Ball can, it is asserted, take up a bag of potatoes by the tags and then throw it over her shoulders with the greatest of ease. On one occasion there was a trial of strength between her and one of the settlers. Miss Bell carried a sack of 133 mutton birds (weighing from 11b to IJlb each) for nearly 2 miles without stopping, whereas the settler oould only manage to carry 116, and then had to pull up seven times. The second Miss Bell, though not so strong, astonished our friends by her height—she stands 6ft Sin in her stocking feet. Evidently Sunday Island and a mutton bird diet are conducive to bodily perfection. It is pleasing to hear that tlr.se amazopic young ladies are well educated, a tutor having been living with Mr Bell for some years. They were very pleased to see the settlers come, and very sorry when they departed, as is only natural, society in Sunday Island being somewhat limited. Mr Bell’s sole source of income is the wool from his sheep, which he send? away to Auckland whenever an occasion offers. The other produce of his land he barters with passing whalers for stores.

The island is not a bad place for the Bell’s, although their life is a solitary one, but it is no place for New Zealand seit’ers, and as Mr Beckett says, it is a very great pity that the expedition ever started, He is very severe ttpon Mr Percy Smith, the Chief Surveyor, who drew up such a glowing report upon the island. It appears that this functionary never went over the Denham Bay land at all, but just looked over it from a cliff which dominates it. The matter ehould certainly be brought before the attention of Parliament. As to the Kermadec Association’s secretary. Mr Bristed, he will have a warm time of it, if some of the settlers can get at him. Mr Beckett says Mr and Mrs Hovell are likely to return in a few months, and scoffs at the idea of anyone else being foolish enough to again try the experiment of colonising the Kermadecs.