The Press. Thursday, January 9, 1919. The "Race" for Akaroa.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16416, 9 January 1919, Page 6

The Press. Thursday, January 9, 1919. The "Race" for Akaroa.

We made brief reference in our notes yesterday to the doubt which has been thrown on the accepted story of the "race" to Akaroa between Captain Stanley in the brig "Britomart," and Captain Lavaud in the French corvette "L'Aube," the latter, it is alleged, being bent on hoisting the Fronch flag at AlcaToa, and the former dispatched by Governor Hobson for the purpose of forestalling such action and protecting British sovereignty. Tho whole question was thoroughly thrashed out in correspondence in. "The Press'' in 1907 and 1908, and subsequent years, but the subject is of so much interest in view of tho visit of the French. Mission to Akaroa to-<lay,. that it may be well to summarise the conclusions which may fairly be drawn from what was then printed. There is no doubt that on August llth, 1840, Captain Owen Stanley, of H.M. Sloop Britomart, landed at Akaroa, accompanied by Messrs Murphy and Robinson, police magistrates, and that he did this by instructions from Governor Hobson. In his report to his Excellency, written, on that day, he says, lie "visited the only "parts of the bay where there were " houses. At both places the flag was "hoisted and a Court, of which notice "had been given the day before, was "held by the Magistrates." It is also certain that both the French Corvotte L'Aube and the Comte de Paris, with the French emigrants, arrived afterWards, although there is some little discrepancy as to the actual date. But as was pointed out in our columns by Mr G. J. Black, of Akaroa, and Mr Johannes Andersen, now librarian of tho Turnbull Library in Wellington, British sovereignty had been proclaimed over tho South Island nearly two months before. On June 17th, 1840, the British flag was hoisted at Cloudy Bay by Major Bunbury, of the 80th Regiment, under instructions from Governor Hobson, and a proclamation by the latter was read declaring that "tho j " full sovereignty of the islands of New ' •' Zealand extending from 34 degrees " iiU minutes north to 47 degrees 10 " minutes south latitude and between " 166 degrees 5 minutos to 179 degrees " of cast longitude vests in her Majesty •' Queen Victoria her heirs and succes- " sors for ever." Major Bunbury, it may be added, had previously visited various parts of the South Island, and obtained signatures of Native chiefs to the Treaty of Waitangi, vesting the sovereign rights in the Queen. "At « " Akaroa," he reported, "I obtained the signature of a brother of the "late chief, Tamiaharanui, and also the "signature of a very intelligent and " well-dressed native, who spoke Eng- " lish better than any I have mot with " in this colony." For what purpose, then, was Captain Stanley sent to Akaroa P No precise answer could be given to this question until in 1910, our London correspondent, Mr Guy H. Scholefield, who was engaged on a life of Governor Hobson, was permitted by Lord Crewe to examine and copy the secret letter of instructions given by Governor Hobson to Captain Stanley, and never before published. This important document, dated July 22nd, 1840, refers to the presence of the French Corvette L'Aube at the Bay of Islands, and to the rumours that some interference with Great Britain's sovereign rights over

the South Island was intended. He adds:—

If my suspicions prove correct, L'Aube will, no doubt, proceed direct to Akaroa, and Banks Peninsula, for which place I have earnestly to request that you will at once depart with the utmost expedition, as it would be a point of the utmost consideration that on his arrival at that port he may Snd you in occupation, so that it will be out of his power to dislodge you without committing some direct act of hostility."

The Governor go'es on to point out that the Queen's sovereignty had already been established, by tlio proclamation previously referred to, and the cession to her -Majesty by the native chiefs of their rights through Major Bunbury. He considered it advisable, however, that some "act of civil autho- " rity should be exercised on the is- " lands, and for that purpose the " Magistrates who accompany you will "bo instructed to hold a Court on " their arrival at each port, and to have a record of their proceedings " registered and transmitted to me."

These facts seemed to show conclusively that Governor Hobson was satisfied that the Queen's sovereignty had been established, but that he was afraid some attempt might bo made by Captain Lavaud to challenge the British rights, and he therefore thought it his duty to make assurance doubly sure. But, what about Captain Lavaud? We mentioned yesterday that; some years ago ono of the original French colonists informed a representative of "The Press" that Captain Lavaud had no intention whatever of forestalling Captain Stanley, and that there was no "race." The documentary evidence available certainly supports this view. One of the results of the correspondence in "The Press" was that Mr Johannes Andersen wrote to the Hon. R. McNab, who was then in Europe searching for early New Zealand records, asking him to make enquiries in Paris, and especially to examine the logs of L'Aube and the Cointo de Paris. Unfortunately, the results of Mr McNab's researches have not yet been published in full. In a letter which Mr Andersen addressed to "The Press" in 1913, he said that Mr McNab had secured copies of the dispatchcs passing between Captain Lavaud and the French Government, and in a letter to him (Mr Andersen) Mr McNab stated that "when L'Aube arrived at the Bay "of Islands, and Lavaud saw the posi- " tion, he advised his Minister "he would not hoist the flag at " Akaroa until he had fresh instruc- " tions from Paris, sent on receipt of " that dispatch, and at tho same time "he recommended shifting the settle- " ment to another portion of the Paci- " fic." Mr McNab also remarked that "tho only race was the human race." Every student of New Zealand history knows how absolutely painstaking and accurate in research the latq Mr McNab was, and will accept implicitly any statement which he makes as a statement of fact. It follows that if he is correct in this matter, the inscription on the baptismal font in Christchurch Cathedral is wrong. That inscription is as follows: — "To tho memory of Captain Owen Stanley. R.N. By whose enterprise, A.D. 1840, this Island was secured to the British Empire. This font was crected A.D. 1881, by his brother, Arthur Penrhyn Stanley, Dean of Westminster." Of course, this inscription was written in perfect good faith, and it represented what is still a very prevalent view. But it was written 41 years after the event, and without any knowledge of the papers in the French archives. As evidence, it cannot stand against documentary records written at the time of the occurrence.