STORIES OF THE PENINSULA.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume VI, Issue 555, 8 November 1881, Page 2

STORIES OF THE PENINSULA.

No 8. French Farm and the Survey,

About the year 1858 and 1859 a great many new settlers came to New Zealand, and of these not a few came to the Peninsula were particularly the passengers by the barque Indiana and ship Clontarf, most of whom settled in the various bays of the Peninsula. Amongst these we may mention Messrs G. J. Ciieckley, Joseph Bates, Kennedy, and S. and J. Hunt. Some of those new settlers went to dairy farming, others to hush work. Few had much capital to start with, and'most of them are now comparatively prosperous men, thai ks to their energy, and the splendid timber, capital soil and good climate of: our Peninsula. The timber was than to be found everywhere in very large quantities, and the climate was more humid in consequence. Its removal has largely increased the droughts in summer, and old settlers think that planting should be largely carried on. to mitigate the extreme heat of: the sun which now burns up the bare hills for several months in the year. One gentleman, Mr F. Moore, left the barque Indiana, in Lyttelton, in iho year 1858 with a very small capital, which lie, like a good many more, speedily got rid of, not seeing at the moment what he was to do in New Zealand. He came down to the Peninsula and joined Mr Tribes gang in the French Farm Bay, cutting blocks for the old Government buildings, piles for the Lyttelton jetty, firewood, etc., at which employment- he was occupied nearly two years. Very jo.ly was the life led by these bush fellows in the old days. Many of them had been delicately (nurtured and well brought up, they turned to with a will and found that they could do hard work as well as those to the manner born. Their hard won earnings were, however, in most cases speedily disposed of. They used to work like slaves for a month or two, and then go to Akaroa and knock it down in a few days. Mr G-ibbs kept the principal hotel, which was the one now known as Bruce's. He was a decent fellow, with a large corporation, and the boys all liked him, for he was of a very genial character, . Mr Tribe rented the Government bush in French Farm and employed a groat many men. He was universally respected, but in spite of all his nnterpiise, lie never (through aseriesof misfortunes) succeeded in making the fortune ho thoroughly deserved. At one time he was burnt out in Lyttelton, and afterwards took the Cenlml hotel in Christchiirdi. He eventually found bis way to the West Coast diggings when he was returned for a member for the General Assembly, and did munli goo I for the community h-: represented, and was as generally buloved by the diggers as he had been on the Peninsula.

When Mr T.ibe gave up French Farm, Messrs Keegan and Wilkin bought a spot of ground on the smith silo of Akaron Harbor. 0:1 which Mr Keegnn is stiil living. Mr Moon; went over with them and stopped for a year. At this time Mr Tovvnsend was traversing the Peninsula on the survey. He was joined by Mr Moore, who stopped with him six mouths, and afterwards went with him up north. At the time the big works were going on in French Farm, Mr Sluulbolt look tl'o Plead of the 13 iy Hotel and succeeded in it most admirably. JJis predecessor was a Mr John Anderson (a Russian Finn), and in his time there weie high jinks at the Head of the Bay, for timber was worth 22s per 100 ft, and the sawyers made their money very easily, and spent it as freely as they got it. A gentleman named Dickens resided in French Farm before Mr Tribe came there. He was a dairy fanner, and a good deal of the land there belonged to him. One day, in the year 1857, he left the house without s-iyiug whore he was gfoirig, taking his horse with bin;. When night came he did not return, but his dog came back, and a search was instituted, wliich lasted for many weeks. His horse was discovered tied up in the supplejacks, but no trace or tidings of the missing man himself have ever been discovered to tho present day. The present proprietors of French Farm arc relations of tliis gentleman, who was very much respected and regretted There were many narrow escapes in those days, particularly to those engaged in boating. On one occassion at Christmas time, Mr Townsend sent a boat's crew to Waikerakikari from Akatoa. It came on to blow fierce from the S.W., and the crew had to put into Lucas's B.iy where they laid that night. There was a keg of rum in the boat, and before midnight they were drinking it out of the heel of an old boot. Nest morning they resolved to start, though it was still blowing very hard from the S.W. Jack Miller was the steer-oarsman, and he kept the men in good heart. In spite of the heavy seas and furious wind they managed all right till they got near a reef that runs out near Waikerakikari shore. Here tho sea was breaking furiously over the reef, and they bad to wait for over two hours before Miller gave the word to pull across. When he did he said " Pull, and pull like h—l boys!" and so they did pull, and just as the boat cleared the reef the rowers saw the bare rocks staring up abaft. It was a marvellous escape, another moment and the boat must have been dashed to pieces, and all on board drowned, for no one could have swum in such a sea, and had it not been for the iron nerve an I quick eye of Miller none would have lived to tell the tale.