ADVENTUROUS LIFE

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1455, 1 June 1912, Page 6

ADVENTUROUS LIFE

THE LATE MR, J. WEBSTER. CRUISE OF 'i'M WAXB'RKKR.. (Uy Telegraph—Special CorrqSpduUe.nU .A.uckland, JJ-ay i)l. The late Mr. J. Wc'li'ster, wl.io died at Hcvonport yesterday, had a reiiiaftkabio career. Boi-ji in 181S, 1» early -ileVploped a passion for ImivaK lii Au«(ist, J. 538., Ifr. Webster left (l.iasii.oiv for %l.ftcy ill the barque Portland-, arriyiiig in the. .liitter port lifter a isrirsiiß.e of iiiS (lfiys. H:o met Mr. Edward Howes end li.is brotherj statiouholders, and in 15.3!) joiirneypil overland with a nipb of 800 cattle to Adelaide, the jimrjvpy eCciiisyi-Jitf four months. Next year iie made another journey with cattle, oiift his narty were the lir>t white nipji to -Vraverse the banks of the Murray l!ivei\ Mr. AVcb>t.er fhfcn discovered tlio Kfl.ward KiV-er, 'nmni'Df; i,t after Mr. Edward .lTo.tvo.Si At Adeiii-ute lie met Captain (afterwards .Sir Gco. Gi-ey). The first sl<?anltr to reach fho coionie?, a paddle-boat with. a. top speed of jive knots, called Tliir.tee.ii, wiis at A.iietni..dd y aind in her Mr. Wtet.ef . w.ciit tp Mel> bourne, wliich consisted then of only a. few tents. , ■ .

He sailed for H'qK'iati£s iri fli.o barp.Aio Jupiter on April % 18il, 'w-ifoi .the .i'nie'ii., tion of joining his'brother W.il'lia'ni, had two years provipiisiy nreived' i.n"tlio colony, aiid was fli.e-fii-st' cplpiiist fp. start a sawmill in >>'«* ■Zealand. M.r-, .T'. "Webster ioined Kill! at Hpkianpia. Sir .T, L. Campbell was. thi'n .at Hokiaii.en,. niiil he and Mr. Websfp.r useil tp ; pull jii a canno together to Visiji (!re chi'p'fs Sir J. Campbell has ever 'beer;, held iii the highest esteem by Mr. Webster., arid was his eldest living'friend., Mr. Webster \vas at: B'qk'iijnga through' all the troublous time Pf ".Hojie's war 'in 1815, and he and the late .T'nd'g'e Mn'nnuij-

were much together. , durijijr that pptfod. . \ftcr Heke's war.,. Mr-. Webster went to Auckland, and; in\ 1849: was supercargo, for a vessel beloiVpans to Messrs. Brwtt and Camribell, aii.d as Knelt visited: California. It was , (lulling h.i.s ra'sit; to California that Mr... W-eMter , deeded to take part in one of' -those. adventurous undertakings to which, te, *>:as- strongly at' trneted by the , iijfljipncs of., his,.. -oh'flj readme. 'He joined. .Mr,, B. Boyd iit a cruisp to seveV.al. dt.iM islands in the. Pacific in the Wanderer, a ha.ndspiiio -and fast-snilin? schooner of 24.0. tons, which, carried an arnta.moht: ..of: 13: c.uhs-... oiii? of which, known as- "Lqh'g T/bmy" -,aftci> wnrds found a. .peaceful , TBsti'ii<?.:ii]acc .in Albert Park. whVr.i 1 i.t-haS. fpr ..a lonjj ti.mo been a familiar object. 'to- Ancklandcfs. Two other fi'^iiii.s , of Jfr. .Boyd' j.Mpsjirs, Crawford and Bar.n.e?)',\ypne also, .assticfat> ed in tho entorprise:'. The p.iil.y q.tlier white man in : fl\e' party -was the sailing master of thft.-TCaiider?!:-(ifft :Qttiwe]l.:);, The love of strange sfeiestyid: rAiniintfe adventure was a -CQinniop. bqnd'.bptw.een. jrr. Boyd nndi Sγ-. Waster, =anii it wlis this de'fire foti" travel , tfjit of the beaten tracks of the sj&- -tftat constituted . jthe; great attraction 'in tli.e- case of' the M'anderer's cruise;. T-h.o>ii-. was, ' Kqjrev.er, a definite object : iri. -vifcto and this.'.js. ex=.: nlained in Webster's, int.er.ojtiijp-lii.s-tory of of- the Wanderer" which he :;priljlis}ip.rt fepnie; years, later. The him. of 'tlie espenition, "•ho exnhins. in ihiS ■,preface to 'flviK interesting little ; liopt;. -iva.s ■.'to 1 , .esthblisli- ,, .a. Papunn venulfHc .bp cphfed.eratio.ii.■ -to. - : ]fi"y tlie foiimlaliion- stone , of ■fomo.social, and. political orsanisatioii- oir-.wffich.-the fsirii-: pie machinery "-of': .-.ait indencudelit staM misht "be afterwards: -sriiic.t.e.d:' : HM:siios deaHi cut sliorfi-'Nr,-. Boyil's .'career , jhfl-- , could doubtless- Have sujpjiepflwl., :i.h. :?its. o}V ject. ':■', ■■■'..- The Wandoffir; -left: San: Francisco-, .pft . June 3. ■ IBSU-;anil' , after , n; .tour: .nVon.ths , ' pleasant crnis?V (Jijr.ihp w-hilcli several, nf- 1 tlie croiins of-i«lan(!s. in; Sit? Pnwfife wc'-e:; visited, the Sb.lpj'iipn Tsla.nds w.pi;s-.icacli-j eel in Octiben: 'It %is )>ere th;St n : ■ tlifister whiclv ile.miived. the , . Vrhrtv of , ' , its j leader overtook tlfe -expecliiipiV. I'lif- , Wanderer was- , jiti i c.li6"r< i .(l'.off 1, tho Jslnrid of-' OaudnlcanaT, , 'aiftl'. , 'early -*«*■ ino.rii.r-n.s- 'Mr." Boyd went •■aslf.ore-. wit!( a. pWtivb J.xi.iproceedinnr in a.-.sm.ntt lioat in to thf .lnouth ■ of a smnll I'.iycr , Hra'.t .r.itn-, into the- h-iY-. hour. .Shortly. , .M'ie.r his dopartufe- ■ f)i» narty on Aver?, nl.tiacked. by natives. Tlie'latter and \ their canoes. SuV.viiiff. • ■.«;j.tlvf-r slink- n'i 1 j destroyed the: ?iya>es took fljirhf. .A eent senrch irasv.->ifji<!?:.:frtr Sfr. Bnvil. and. the Native bor, ljul;.wither. >v , as..di , ?c , ov.or-..: ed, a"d it «a* 'n??l\nie(l: o,ai both-, fad. , wi Hieir doath- bk tlie: Ivf.iids of ' tha-; Xntivos. The. sad fate '-(if- Jtr s Bojd,. which a Wobm or.e.r. ■ tlj<! parh:. -ivns fnllowod less: tjip!! .a : month later !>y. -fnift" ther disaster; ' The; Whnd.ore'ri. whilst ;pff: Ihe .Australian c6a«t, was. wrecked near . Port >r.icf|iinris on- j\o , ypriib'..e , r 12,. A iiieVmher of the ore.wv.swtijii. 'nsliore by means- ; of a line, .and all. hands werfi. thoi;eby. saved. ... ■ :

After the.■nnfo-Ttumife priding , of hisTsland oruis£, Jfr. lYjcbstp'? spent snnie time "ii Hip TTy> Hjb:!i revisited til"', D.lct PmiW-rs'. n.n.d .-wJijSn thpre liatl ;t.l.f?.- Rrwou'r of K.hp.w.ip'* sonw sl-ptches of; the. Islands' w.h'ich'' ho had' visited during the Whruterer. , '! cruise. H OIIPPII Vif>foX'? f>'.V<l i?J - '"CC ! Albert. -Ff: returned to-. Jlbkiancrn.ln. Wb?,,. ■<vii»n he: ■"ai'.ripd Hioi.'daus'hfer of his pTd friend, JK G. F. bftf>)iiij<oW

J[r. AVebstp'r- pnt<>i:p(! ■p.xUnsiv.e'l.J jiifo flip timlwr iiTitte. , ivi.tb his- -viii»<r<>r brothpr. Xn |. s: IV^p*.'" m. tfehstcr had pri?y.i(>ii'sli' l.)iii'?b't Tflri acrps. of land at Opo.iv6.iii-.: JfCikWnjja Fa'rbon'r.'. fin Mjcccpded in' -rnalcnit; , OnbpolVi an- idpal hompstpad and ■■pastoral- fhrm-. ii-hpre- lie for ypnrs p.n.f>ftnj.t>:e'd dvst.'-nsiiiis.liw! viritnr= to flip distpxiti ijiiirndin<; % fei-Js of frla c <;o«-''a?id iß'an.fiiijlx aird , otter jfpir Zealand Gfivei.-'n.or.s;