MARTIN'S BAY.

Evening Star, Issue 3023, 28 October 1872, Page 3

MARTIN'S BAY.

The Wakatip Mail prints a narrative of the overland journey of two men named Morrison and Woodgate, to winch refeience was made in our telegrams last week lit party left Martin’s Bay on Octobe. 8 and reached Queenstown on the 19th. i y could get no provisions on leaving the settlement : had nothing to support them until reaching Mr Scott’s, on the Dart Kiver, except six birds, comprising kiwi, kakapos, and ducks, which were caught by their dog. At the time they left there were no provision at the settlement, except a small stock in the hands of a Mr Porter, and the community was at the mercy of the The latter gentleman had once a nine months stock, but he had given it nearly all away. The climate was tine ; the late winter had been a mild one ; the soil was good, and all were contented, but for the scarcity ol provisions. Some patches of wheat nad been sown for the coming summer, and also seed potatoes ; but it had been found necessary to unearth a great portion of the latter. As an illustration of the shifts to which people will resort under such circumstances, an incident was told in connection with a man named Bobiuson, who has a wife and children living some little distance from Ihe township, and about midway between it and the beach. It seems that Kobmson had not laid in a stock of provisions, because the last steamer which arrived about six months before had reported that another vessel would’call a few weeks after. As a consequence of this disappointment, himself and family had nothing to live on for some weeks. He however, hit upon a- happy idea ; for the Sunday evening before our informant left he put the whole in a boat (for everyone owns a boat or canoe) and took them up to the dwelling of a coupje of single men living on the shores of the lake opposite the township, in the hopes of sharing their hospitality. But the men were equally as destitute as their uninvited guests. Robinson, shortly after arrivmg, left the house on some pretence, and unexpectedly “paddled his own canoe,” leaving the family m charge of his friends, who took them across to an empty house in the settlement, where Mr Porter kindly supplied them ithafew mussels and a little fern. Morrison states that souio of tho singlo men und liinTSßlf Ifctt Jamestown some two months ago for the sea shore, as they had completely run out of eatables. They stopped at Big Bay chieny, where they lived partly on mussels, which were procurable only about three days every sprint tid«. The dogs also used occasionally to catch a stray penguin which had come near shore probably on account of the breeding season. The greatest treat, though was when a fine seal about 13 feet long was captured. The men bad to fight hard with sticks to secure their prize, which made several desperate attempts to get into deep water ; but he was intercepted by his enemies, whose first object was to render him comparatively helpless by poking his eyes out. The animal was afterwards cut up, and each man shouldered as much as he could carry to the settlement, where groat feasting was kept up for a few days until the stock was exhausted. Ihe single men only have been able to get away to the interior, as the married ones have to stop at home and look after their families. The latter wander down the lower Hollyford some six miles to the sea, where they gather mussels or any refuse that may be washed on the beach, such as dead fish, &c. Under all these privations, everyone in the settlement is said to be in good health. They have money, and are willing to remain, provided there is some guarantee that they are not likely to be starved out.