A Relic of the Past.

Feilding Star, Volume XVII, Issue 72, 21 September 1895, Page 3

A Relic of the Past.

From an old almanac and guide to Wellington we learn the price the Maoris received for the purchase of Wellington and surrounding districts. Shortly after the arrival of the ship Tory from London, Colonel Wakefield, the principal agent of the New Zealand Company, entered into negotiations with the Native owners of the lands which comprise " Wellington and the surrounding districts," and succeeded in obtaining on September 27th, 1839, the signatures, or rather marks, of Epuni, Wi Tako, Warepori, and nine other influential chiefs, to a deed of purchase, which comprised " the whole bay, harbor, and district of Wanga Nni Atera, commonly called Port Nicholson, situated on the north eastern side of Cook's Straits of New Zealand." It will be interesting to both old and new settlers to learn the articles given to the natives for this valuable property. They are as follows, as taken from the original deed of purchase : — " 100 red blankets, 100 muskets, 2 tierces of tobacco, 48 iron pots, 2 cases soap, 15 fowling pieces, 21 kegs gunpowder, 1 cask ball cartridges, 1 keg lead slabs, 100 cartouche boxes, 100 tomahawks, 40 pipe tomahawks, 1 case pipes, 2 doz. spades, 50 steel axes, 1200 fish hooks, 12 bullet moulds, 12 doz. shirts, 20 jackets, 20 pairs trousers, 60 red night caps, 300 yards cotton duck, 200 yards calico, 100 yards check, 20 doz. pocket handkerchiefs, 2 doz. slates and 200 pencils, 10 doz. looking glasses, 10 doz. pocket knives, 10 doz. pairs of scizzors, 1 doz. pairs of shoes, 1 doz. umbrellas, 1 doz. hats, 21bs beads, 100 yards ribbon, 1 gross Jews' harps, 1 doz. razors, 10 doz. dressing combs, 6 doz. novels, 2 suits superfine clothes, 1 doz. shaving boxes and brushes, 20 muskets, 2 doz. adzes, and 1 doz. sticks sealing wax.