OUR FIRST NAVY

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 304, 19 September 1919, Page 3

OUR FIRST NAVY

ECHO OF THE MAORI WAR

AN INTERESTING PAPER

At the annual meeting of the historical section of the' Philosophical Soeict;' held on Tuesday, Mr. Herbert Bnilliu said that in view of the visit to Wellington of Admiral Viscount Jellicoe, he hail thought it of interest to prepare a brief paper on , New Zealand's first navy, to wnich passing referenco had been made by the Admiral in one of his speeches. The paper was as follows:"Glancing through some volumes of t!m 'Illustrated London News' of the early 'sixties, I was interested to find quite a number of illustrations of. New Zealand scenes. I was particularly interested in those shown in the number of January 30, ISG4, among which was the gunboat Pioneer at anchor off Meretnere, on the \Taikuto, 'reconnoitring . the native • position.' As a matter oi' fact it eecms to be actively bombarding the position. As far as I can discover, the Pioneer was tho first warship built' for New Zealand. ■ She was launched from a Sydney shipyard during ISG3, making her trial trip on September 15. Mr. Dillon Bell represented the New Zealand Government on that occasion, when, it is noted, tho usual banquet was held in the vessel's 'handsome little cabin.' Her length was 140 ft.- beam 20ft., and depth Sit. She was flat-bottomed, and when loaded with 300 men and stores drew 3ft. of watei. She was towed from Sydney by H.M.S. Eclipse, leaving port on September 22 and arriving' at Onehunga on October 8. On the main deck she vrai fitted with two iron towers or turret 12ft. in diameter, Bft. elevation, and pierced* for rifles, and 12-pounder Armstrong guns. The commander's stntion was in a turret above (he stern tower. She was schooner-rigged, and carried about-20 tons of coal, with a consumption of three tons a day. The vessel soon got to work, as she is shown in action on October 29."

IV Avon, another colonial gunboat, assisted by four iron-sheathed car?; barges, also took part in the action. These barges had been converted into gun-boats. Perhaps these are the gunboats alluded tp bv Admiral of the Fleet. Viscount Jellicoe, in a recent speech. Tin; Avon was described as 'a short, dull, clu'mpv, paddle, iron steamer.' Apparently it was found that the Pioneer drew too much water for navigating the Waikato, as fwo other vessels were ordered. The Rnnjrariri and the Koperoa were constructed in Sydney, dismantled, and shipped to New Zealand for' reconstruction. The Koperoa was launched at the Waikato Heads on January 15, 1804. She drew 7in. aft, and llin. forward. A Sydney paper, in a description of the Knngariri, said:—This boat, which can easily turn in the space of a little more than her own length, may follow the headings of such'a. river as the 'Waikato in its narrowest part, and inav either be used as a steam tug, towing'flats for the conveyance of-troops, or mav be. armed with a'gun at each of the singular-looking, port-holes, whichare closed with folding doors in the middle of the lower deck, while the bulwarks on each side are pierced with 2fl or .10 loopholes for rifle-shooting.' The Koperoa was built in less than six weeks from the time the. contractors revived the plans from Mr. J. T. Stewart, engineer, who was sent to Sydney on behalf of the Government. It was sent with the Pioneer up the Iloratui River. Commodore Wiseman and-a narty of 'inval and military officers went in the Pioneer twelve miles above Ngaruawii'iia, with tf'o Koperoa in their wake. The party Ken transferred to file . Koperoa and prcoeecled 22 miles further on. The Com--moitbro located the Native positions and returned. Unfortunately no particulars are given of the size of the vessels. N

"The English warships on the' Now Zealand station at this time were tho Rsk (10 guns), falcon (17 crunA I'Vn-n (17 guns), Eclipse (4 guns), Miranda (1571 tons, 15 guns), Curacoa (23 guns, Commodore Wiseman), and Harrier (17 guns)." Mr. Baiilio said that lie had not yet finished his investigations, and hoped to mako tho paper more complete a little later on. A Reminiscence. " Colonel Porter, C.8., who was ;,j t tho chair, regretted that there w&d not a larger attendance to hear such an interesting paper. He said that the mention of tno Avon recalled an incident which had occurred on the Waikato, when her conimumter was killed ami Lieutenant Foljambc, aiterwards the Earl of Liverpool, and father of tuo present Governor-General, took command. The Avon wis proceeding along, and Lieutenants Mitchell and lyoljambe were seated alt*, where the skylights would be now, when tho .Natives poured in a volley from the banks. Lieut.-Coiu-manuer Mitchell was fatally -wounded, and Lieutenant' Foljumbo escaped., The engineer,'■ Mr. Ellis (wlm still resides at the Bay of Islands), went below to look after his engines. On Lieutenant Mitchell being snot the command devolved upon, lieutenant I'oljambe. Years niterwards Mr. Ellis u.ppuod for the New Zealand war medal. A number of.lawyers had been called upon' to decide who was entitled to the medal, «nd bad held that those who had not been actually in an engagement were not entitled to tho honour, and though Ellis had keen under fire and Lieutenant Mitchell had been shot down next to him, they held, .that it was not an' engagement. Later h. Board of Officers was appointed to investigate claims for the jNcw Zealand medal, and on the records being produced they gave Ellis the medal ho had been denied for three years, and he now received the small .£3O a year. At that time lieutenants Mitchell and Foljambe were both serving on H.ILS. Curacoa. . / , ■ On a motionfby the chairman Mr. Baiilio was given a vole of thanks, with tho request that he should complete the paper and read it at a later meeting oi the branch. This Mr. Baiilio to do. • '