PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY
HISTORICAL SECTION MEETS,
_ The first nieetin™ of tho Historical Section of the Philosophical Socieiy was field last evening in,the Museum. The president 'of the section (.\h' v Elsdon Best) wis in the chair. The chairman pointed out that the section had hoen started io encourage the study' of historical matters, and they were, .anxious to see the younger members tilling up Hid muttei', not only in respect to the Europeans, hut also of the native races.
After the disposal of formnl business the president-read it paper on "The Early Bush Settlers." Mr. Best dealt mainly with the' customs, peculiarities, ' and ' vicissitudes of the early settlers in the district. He referred to the time when tho Polynesian voyagers first crossed to tho then unknown, ocean, seven hundred years ago, and discovered New Zealand. The chores "of AVellington Harbour were settled by a party of adventurers from the "Wnliia district. According to Maori tradition, at that time the islands of Matii'i Makaro, and Motu Kairangi (Somes and Ward Islands and the Miramar Peninsula) wcro covered with a growth of scrub and fern, but were bare of forest trees. The rest of the Wellington Peninsula was nil covered with forest. The position was much the same .when the Tory sailed into the ereat harbour of Tarn, in 183!). Ncolelhie. man did little to destroy the forest. If he wero a' cultivator of the soil he would hew and bum out a clearing which, in a few years, reverted, to forest. The local forests differed little until tho keen axe of the Europeau pioneer hewed down the grand old trees that saw Kupe, the explorer, sail the bluewaters of Eaukawa, and were old when the land of Ea, the Sungod, was peopled by savngea. These lone isles, far separated from other lands, held their secret until a race of bold navigators entered tho Pacific and traced out every isle of tho realm of Kiwi. When in 1839-40,, and subsequent years, our fathers came across far seas to found new homes in the land of Tarn, they sailed into a noble harbour surrounded by forest-clad hills. Mr. Best then referred to the trials and hardships, annoyances and delays, tho early settlers were obliged to face, and then went on to refer to tho clearing: of the bush. In the old days, before the sawmill had made its advent, the pit-sawyer was quite an important individual, so also was the shingle splitter, for roofing iron and wooden substitutes were unknown to the pioneers. But those old sturdy men had passed away, though names caiiie to them across ninny years and recalled the strenuous limes of the early'settlers. The wo«cs of the bushfellers' in those far-off days were .£2 per acre. Vor years (lie wages of farm hands stood at 10s. per week, while daylabourers received 4k to ss. a day. In later years tho wages rose to 7s. and The principal products brou'ihf into tho village for sale by the early bush setters were firewood, shingles, butter, eggs, bncon. potatoes, milk, and vegetables. The latter eame mostly from the Hutt Vaile.V, which possessed a. great advantage in its rich alluvial soil. Karori had aVaetical'monoply of the milk trade_ on account of its nearness to the nrowing vil'a"o ' The price obtained by the settle's" for 'butter was sixpence per pound and more, and each butler maker had Ins own hr.rul nr stamp. Wild pork was also marketed at fid. per lb. Various other aspocl« of tlm_ lives ot Hie pioneer-', thfir mode of livniE. and how Hicv "•raduallv. but surely, laid the foundations of a new country, were referred In bv the lecturer.
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Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 202, 21 May 1919, Page 3
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608PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 202, 21 May 1919, Page 3
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