From a New Book. WELLINGTON IN THE ’FIFTIES

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 101, 23 January 1935, Page 7

From a New Book. WELLINGTON IN THE ’FIFTIES

Ou board Poictiers, Wellington Bay, August 24, 1850 Wellington is a town of considerable size, containing about 2000 inhabitants scattered over nearly two miles extent round the head of the bay, and has a commanding appearance from the water. The bouses are almost wholly of wood, and only one story, or one and a half. Many of the villas around are very neat, but the churches aud barracks have the most prominent appearance. . . On entering the heads from Cook Strait, called Tort Nicholson, you come into a large and spacious bay from 20 to 30 miles in circumference, more like a lake than otherwise, surrounded by high bills all around with only one entrance, and that unseen from the anchorage ground. Here ships can ride in perfect safety, although it sometimes blows very hard. Indeed, Wellington is proverbial for wind, its position being in’ the mouth of the Straits is like as in a funnel, and it catches it every way from the sea. By the way we caught it in right earnest that night before getting in here; it blew a gale, rained ill torrents, aud mirk dark, and us locked in the Straits. Every two hours had to shift stays; was ouce within ship's length of the rocks. Had we struck it would have been all up with us. It was the only night on which we were afraid, but were mercifully preserved and got in next morning in safety.—From “The Journal of George Hepburn,” edited by his grandson William Downie Stewart.