AN OLD IDENTITY.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume V, Issue 490, 25 March 1881, Page 2

AN OLD IDENTITY.

A correspondent of the Dunedin Morning Herald h&s come across an old colonist at the mouth of the Taieri, whose history in brief is an eventful one, and, as Akaroa in the olden time is referred to in it, wo repiiiit it for tho benefit of oi:r readers. The writer thus describes the old man :—

" Present ing the appearance of a weatherbeaten sailur, 'John Bull' stands about Oft high, and i« broad shouldered and well-proportioned. 'John Bull'tells his own story:—My real name is Robert O'Neill. I have been living at Taieri Mouth about 45 years. My age was 24 when I crtine to this Colony, and I will be 69 on the 24th of Mny next. I was born in Halifax, Britiah America, in 1812. I

came out here in the American whaler Elizabeth, commanded by. Captain Smith. We had three boats' crews aboard, rjx hands beinpf appointed to-each boat. Wβ also had ship carpenters and other hands. For three seasons we cruised about Stewart's Island v and Port William. The skipper and'myself could not agree, because he treated me badly, and I ran .away. Eight of us ran away iii one boat. We were glad- to escape ;fr.oni the skipper, boean c he was a regular 'bully,' We landed on an island called Codfish, near Southland, and lived among the Natives, who treated us kindly. At that time there were übout fifteen or twenty whalers on the island. I from Codfish to Hiverton, where I , remained whaling for two seasons. When I was on Codfish Island 1 lived on ' taters,' and fish, and birds, I had better times then than I have now. After leaving Riveiion I went to the Bluff, where I was sawing for 12 months. Then I shipped aboard a little cutter from Sydney, which traded round the coast of New Zealand, and was commanded by Captain Bruce. I was well treated aboard the cutter, and was practically niy own master, but she got capsized by a heavy squall in Akaroa harbor. At that time a Native woman and two children were drowned. The captain and the rest of the crew got ashore. The cutter was called The Brothers, and eho and her cargo was owned by Captain Bruce. After visitiug Port Nicolson, 1 returned to Akaroa, and went into the hotel business. I afterwards proceeded to Port William, and knocked about there a while. : Returning to Otapjo I was twelve months ,at 'whaling, and I then worked on Johnny Jones's farm at Waikouaiti.. Johnny Jones then employed about 200 men on his farm, and the rate of wages was £2 a month and found. He also owned some whalers. After that I* went to Otag,> Heads and lived in a little hut of my own for two }eara. I was then boating and catching fish. $ly nest move was to Taieri Mouth, where 1 have been ever since About 20 years ago there were fully 100 Natives here ; now there are between 50 and GO, including the half-castes. I earn my living by catching fish, cutting wood, and getting a job at boating now :• id then. I have heard the story of 'T!ie Maori Leap' — that a Maori had been courting - the daughter of an unfriendly chief ; how the lover was observed returning homewards one night, and had to flee from the dusky warriors of the hostile tribe ; that the pursued Maori reached the top of the big cliff, and dived into the water; that as he was swimming to the other slu>re, a canoo containing braves of i the hostile tribe swept along, and they '

mercilessly speared the unfortunate lover. I have heard the old Natives talk about the event in connection with 'The Maori Leap,' but I cannot remember the names of the tribes. My old womon belonged to the North—to the other side of Moeraki. She was born at Waitaki, and we were married about eighteen years ago. We lived together for eight years, and she breathed her last in our hut alongside the Taieri River. About three years ago I got my collar-bone and shoulder hurt through a piece of rock unexpectedly falling over a cliff, and I feel the effects of it yet; otherwise I enjoy splendid health."