COOK MEMORIAL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1900, 9 October 1906, Page 3

COOK MEMORIAL.

UNVEILING OEREMONY,

Rivirg tho welcome to tho landing party. The boats containing Captain Bridscn and his officers from H.M.S. Challenger, and also that with the mrmbo s of Parliament from the Tutaoekai, having arrived at She beach, tbe natives, about 40 in number under tho ieadorsbip of Piers Bowks of . Te Arai, gave the weloomo hnks known as Wuikurakura. Tho landing was ijpioal of Captain Cock's venture of October

1779. and was perhaps tho most interest ing part of the ceremony. By this tirni the Haiti bill was packed with people, our altogether the bojuo was a brilliant one. The natives now lock up a position ir front of the memorial and danoed another haka, telling of Captain Cock onoo forgotten, now being honored—welcome •o the members, tbe navy, tbe Government to behold the stone erected to Oaplain Cook at the foot of Titirangi. " Au, su aue ha ”

His Worship the Mayor, after welcoa ing the visitors, said he had pleasure i being there that day and in asking tt Hon. J. Carroll to unveil that monumer in commemoration of the first landing c Captain Cook in New Zsaland about th spot on whioh they stood, a memorial tha would be the handsomest inNewZ-a'and Captain Cook was tho greatest sailor of bi age, a min who above anything oon fiderei the mm under him, aod did much to pro vent tho scourges of io g voy-ge j . Toej were proud to have the pr-vilege of living in this colony, destined to ho d a verj largs number of inhabitant. Toe nati vee they had before them that dry were descendants of the men who had defied Cock's landing, but who since then had appreciated tho mixed life with Europeans, Natives and Europeans were new mingled together, and enjoyed eaoh other’s ocm paoy, end tbe Maoris were one of the finest rices that the British had discovered. (Applause) Of course Captain

Cook wasnot reooived in a friendly tnann but this feeliog bad disappeared among the natives. They were p ond to unvi the memorial that day. Is was sou years ago pines a small committee h' ! determined to have the memorial erectei -'*'~ftnd they were there that day to see tt oorsummation of their labors. He trust; tbe monument would meet with tt approval of Ministers, members cf tt House, and visitors. It was an endurin monument not a small one, and compose of that stubborn stone, Aberdeen granis: wbiob lasted for ever. Tbe memoria wonld exist when they were gone, aod th stone wonld be there for tbeir children t look at and tbiok of the people who ha ereoted it. His Worship then read mss sages to the Governor and Premier am messages of congratulation and apolog; for non-atSendaace from Mr Hall-Jones Mrs F, SampsoD, Mr Arthur Myers, Mr (J Izard, W. D. Lysnar, aod the Premier, Captain Tucker, County Chairman, saic it was his duty and pleasure to represen the County that day to offer ooDgratulations aod to express thanks to these mem. bers of Parliament who had by tbeii presence there that day given assistance in honoring one whose name would ever live in the annals of the Royal Navy. He trusted they would oarry away with thsm pleasant memories of the district, and bo would like to emphasise his great gratitude to the captaio, ofibers, and men of the Challenger for being present. His Worship the Mayor then called upon Mr Carroll. The Hon. J Carroll, who said that these who were there representing both races were taking part in performing a remark able act, wont on to nad a tslegram frem tbe Premier: 11 Join with you in fe!icitating Gisborne on tbe unveiling oi the statue to the m:mory cf Captain Cook. f It is needless for me to 3-ay how much I would have enjoyed being with yourself and friends on au historical occasion of so much interest to Gisborne and tbe colony . as a whole. I hope you are having good weather, and that all the oremonies will pass off most successfully.—J, G. Ward.” The auspioes under which they had met, he continued, could not be more favorable. "All who are here,” he said, " must, I am sure, be moved and have thuir feelings exalted to a much higher point than the ordinary level when we come to consider tbe nature and solemnity of the function ( we are about to participate in. Soaroely a 7 century and a half ago Captain Cook ' landed, it is supposed, at the very spot on which we are now standing. Volumes of history have transpired sinoo then, From that feet radiated a light wbioh carried illumination to the darkest recesses and most obscured and remote parts of tbe globe, and wo to-day, after so many years, are reaping tbe fruits of his labors for the Empire to wbioh wo belong. Therefore our hearts should throb- with unusual fervor, and tbeir pulsations beat higher and be generated to an unusual degree in view of these facts, and tealising as we do that on this solemn occasion wo are opening up a closed book of history, ballowfd by time, and olosely associated with the spot where W 3 are now gathered together. It would be idle for ma to tali over again the many aots and noble deeds of that groat mao. They are already embalmrd In the scroll of fame; they are already indelibly engraved in the hearts of the nation. Suffice it for me to say in referenoa to the performance cf one man that should have brought us such magoiScant result, we are honoring one who did not owe anything to birth, fortune or influence, one who by natural adaptiveness, by untiring zeal, by a restless energy, by undaunled courage raised himself from the humbler wa'ks of life, from the lower soolal grade to the highest position of command in what has been proved to bo the finest navy the world has ever known, (Applause,) Ho beoame one of tbe world's greatest oxplorors, and wo are hero to day, ladies and gont'emon, consecrating the spot, dedicating it to ibo Father of all Time in perpetuation of the memory aod as the record of the aohioveimnts of that great man Captain Jame 3 Cook, (Applause,) The Mayor las referred to tin incident of his lauding here, the first spot on which he placed loot in Nrw Z inland, and certainly the reception was not of tbe most enoonragiDg naturo by the people who inhabited this land, but it is a pic--ture to see this day the d.soendanfca of

those who showed him disfavor and of the pakehaa for whom ho was acting and carrying out bis great works in promoting science and unfolding new discoveries, mingling with the native race —what is left of them—on one common platform to the honor of the memory of Oaplain Cock. (Applause) When wo rralise thoso things, that literature and science had not pono trated into the dark recesses of the earth, that 6ciencehadJo.be revealed, newoounJrie9^‘t'(7 rt and now races brought into the mark of civilisation, we begin to think and aro impressed with the inner belief of the individual supreme fotoo and insorutsble will whioh Btonds behind human effort, for “ there is a divinity wbioh shapes, our end*, rough hew them how wo will.” The finger of destiny shaped the ooursp of Captain Cook. As long as the Empire holds together, na long as sciepoe lives, as long as courageous effort will bo admired by the British people, Captain Cook’s name will r6maiD for ever imperishable. We are raising here in this so to speak lonely spot a monument to the memory of that great man, but his true monument, and a lasting one, is that of tho wido Pacific, ou whose bosom he was cradled, and on •’ whose bosom he ventured forth into many pnkaowa quarters, carrying light in his

From an early hour yostorday mornic people began to flock into town, and I the lime 11 o’clock came, the main th roughfare was paoked with speotatoi while dozens of others otreamod ncioss tl Turangsnui bridge towards Boat h'trbo The band from tho H.M.S. Challongi headed tho prcooseion, followed by obei 100 bluf jiokets. They were a fino bod of men, and made an imposing froul Nrxt in ord<r osmo tbe Gishorro Oit; Band and Vctereno, with tho returner contingentors (mounted) nnder Oaptair Neale aod East Coast Mounted Rifle: (0 P'ain Tombleson). The Gisborne Ivifl.s in oburgo of Captain Beoro followed, the Salvation Band, D;fenoo oadets, end sohool cadets bringing up the roar. Too procession was a o insidereblo one, about 500 people taking part, and as they moved' over the bridge, accompanied by tho attending crowd, it seemed as if tho stream of people would never oud, On arrival at tbe monument the severs! sections were drawn np in Fquaro on each side of the monument, the naval ruon being placed to I the west front. Tho mounted men proceeded to tho beach to a-sist the Maoris in

traiu, carrying science with him, bonefitting not only tho world, but especially the Empiro to whioh wo belong, because he had mado his way fo uuknown lands that had given roliof to tho congested condition in tbo Old Country, and through whom wo g, oan stand on nny shore laved by tho y waters of tbo Pacific. In tho words of the )- Latiu motto, I might aay, “Si menu3. mentum rrquiri?, ciroumrpioc.” I cono graSulate all those who are able to take

', part in this function of having the proud r privilege of being horo in perron to particit I p-ita in the ceremony and in paying that ' I due and just tributo to tho Empire in j honoring tho memory of Captain Cook. (Applause,) Mr Carroll than drew aside tho flags

oovoring tho inscription, and tho National I Anthem was played. I His Lord-hip Bishop Williams, whom tbo Mayor introduced as ono oi tho oldest I residents of tho district, expressed his pliasuro at being present that day, and ho gave r,n interesting historical rosumo of | tbs iarni n;> na dosotibod by Cook turns If. arid supported by native tradition. Ho contended th.s tho landing date should be tbe 9:h Go übor, and not the 8;b, as appeared on tbe monument, us Cook had made use of nautical or astronomical time. He supplemented tho remarks by a short address in Maori, giving tho unmos of the raugatirs of those days and tho natives who had bosu killed.

Tho Hon. Mr Miilar, Minister of Marine, joined in the coogrntalsti.ns to tho Gisborr.o p-opie, niso paying an rlcq ront to tho groat navigator, and moid.ntaliy taking the opportunity a? eulogising the d;s trict’s member, and txpreasing tho splendid opinion ho had fo mod of tbo n-a jurors of 'ho district during tbo ‘J4 hours in had been hers. He warmly shanked the pe -pie of Gisborne for their hospitality. Mr Mills, M.H R , also spoke.

1 I At tho conclusion of this speech, at tho I Mayor’s on 1 !, very hearty cheers wire i I given for Mrs Cnrrjll in reo-guition of bur r I gift of a sito that would form a nucleus if a ■ Park in tho vicinity of tho memoria). His Worship also referred to She groat kindness of tho officers and men ofH.M.S. I Challenge, extolling tbe splendid British navy, and especially commending tha spirit in wbioh the local celebrations had been takou up by those from tho warship. He oalled for three cheers, which were given with great enthusiasm, the Ma:r ! ■ joining in with zest and fioishing up witr. j a j lyful haka.

t Captain Bridson, who was greeted wit . warm applause, returned thanks on beha s of tho officers and Bbip's com 3 pany for the kind reception. When ii had received tho request fiom his Excel ’ loucy tho Governor of New Zealand t ; 'i it Gisborne he had deoidsd that hi ' should himself attend as senior officer. I i was a groat satisfaction to bo present or such an occasion, knowing as they di. the great man they were hoaoriog be loDged to the same service, His Majesty’s Navy, (Oheere.) There had beeD great developments in lha British Empire since Capiain Cock bad made his splendid discoveries. The olrquent speakers who had preceded him had dealt with tho subject so well that there was little left far him to say in reference thereto, except to join in the tribute to tbe one whose memory was being honored by the beautiful pedestal being unveiled that day. But there was one phase of the subject to which ho would iiks to call attention. We must remember that while tha British Empire was being extended and developed, other Powers were also steadily strengthening their positi-.-n He need not single out

any special nation to illustrate thip, for they all knew what was going on in the world to-day, Tho British Empire was spread over a vast area, and while that gav'o them many advantages in tho way of being able fo draw supplies from every clime, it had one great drawback, that while other nations were consolidated, thosejn the distant parts of the British Empiro had a tendenoy to become strangers to eaoh other. He regarded that beautiful memorial as a link in the chain binding them together, and ono of tho means of preventing that strangeness of which he had spoken, Some day a war would oome—in their own lifetime they had seen groat war?, and ho had no doubt that there wou’d egain be war/and he hoped that evory effort would be mads to retain the cohesion of tha Empire, and that when the time did coma they would be fully prepared to sot in harmony throughou f , (Cheers) He asked Com mander Tibheis to cell for three cheers for j he Mayor and others present. “ A real good British cheer ” shouted some ono after the blue jackets had responded.

Then the band played 11 Rule, Brit ennist,” the Maoris gave another spirited hake, and after playing tho National Anthem the proceedings terminated. Toe mou-oi-tvar’s men marohed to Hie Majesty’s Thoatre, where they were entertained at a rno-t enjoyable lunoheon, and later on the football match took place.

THE EXCURSION, . In tho afternoon Che Parliamentary party, accompanied by Captain Bridson aod Commander Tibbets, M,V.O, the Mayor, the Chairman of tbe County Council, members of the Committee, and visiting and local pressmen, journeyed by train to Te Karaka, where they woro hospitably entertained by Mr Armstrong, engineer in charge of tho railway extension works, and afier visiting the tunnel returned to town at 5p m. Every one of the visitors were enthusiastic about the appearance of tha country and its possibilities,

THE BALL.

Tbe visitiog members of Parliament and the officers of H.’il S. Challenger were entertained at a ball in the evening, and His Majesty’s Theatre was crowded on the occasion, His Worship the Mayor opened the prooeediogs, and tha City Band discoursed oppropriata musio until 1030, Mis 3 McGowan presiding at the piano for tho remainder of tha evening. Several M’s H.R. and offiaers of tha warship enjoyed thtmselves on the floor, and tbe dances were interspersed with soogs by Miss Large, of Napier ( 1 It was o Dream ”), Mrs Dr Collins (” Homo, Sweet Home ”), Mr F. Teat (" Fur the King”), and Mr W Mitohell (' The Yeoman’s Wedding") Dancirg was kept up till after midnight, The whole funolion passed off with gusto, aod ii may safely be said that everybody enjoyed themselves most thoroughly, Before leaving on the return trip tho Hon, Mr Millar paid a complitni-nt to the Mayor for the lavish entertainment, and afterwards from 'the platform said that tbo paity oould not go away without expressing their . ksou appreciation of the kindness aud attention received not only from the Mayor but 'ram everyone from the momaut Iboy landed, and tbo visit had been Ihe most er.jiyable they had experienced. On bch-ilt cf tho parly he desired to thank thorn all most hoartily.