AN OLD FABLE.

Hokitika Guardian, 17 June 1926, Page 4

AN OLD FABLE.

ANNEXING THE SOUTH ISLAND. WELLINGTON, June 1.5. From time to time the old fable of how the British captain just beat he French for possession of the South Island crops up. Associated with :i is the account of how Captain Stanley, of H.AI.S. Britomart, took possession of the South Island in August, 1840. Both stories are untrue.

Mr Johannes Andersen, of. the Turnhull Library, Wellington, has gone into the whole question, and is able to prove that Captain Stanley did not hoist the flag at Green’s Point for the purposes of taking possession of the Island, as this had already been done two months earlier by Captain Nias, while in regard to the French captain, -ho knew before arriving at Auckland that the South Island was already British territory.

What really happened was this: Tbe French had formed a -project for sending settlers to Akaroa, ami taking possession in the name of France, but Captain Hobson had been sent early in 1810 to treat with the Maoris for ceding the sovereignty of New Zen land to the British Crown. He bud got the Treaty of Waitangi signed in various parts of New Zealand and had taken possession of the whole of New Zealand, whilst the French expedition was still on the water. Captain Lavaud commandant in charge of the French expedition, called at Sydney, where, no doubt, lie heard of Governor Hobson’s action, which had already been reported to Governor Gipps, of New South Wales. Instead,'therefore, of going direct to Akaroa, he went to the Bay of Islands to interview Captain Hobson, and ascertain wliat lmd boon done, and what be should do. Inorder that matters might be facilitated, Captain Hobson sent Captain Stanley with two Magistrates to Akaroa to bold civil courts. In Ids instructions to Captain Stanley be specifically says that be need do nothing regarding taking'■■possession,- as that act had already been performed. All be was to do was to bold Courts in different places where white people were living, and Captain Stanley held Courts in five different places on tbe Peninsula, hoisting tne flag at each plate, in the some way as he bad done at Green’s Point. Captain Stanley preceded Captain Lavaud by several days, but owing to bad weather he was do'iycd so long that the holding of the Courts had barely been completed when Lavaud arrived, and this lias given rise to the story that the British only just preceded the French in taking possession of the South Island at Akaroa. DO GUM ENTAHY EVIDENCE.

Mr Andersen states: “On the hue Dr 11. Ah Nab visiting England towards the end of 1909, the writer wrote to him in December of that year urging him to secure if possible logs of the Aube and Comte de Paris, also the instruction to Captain Lavaud and Invalid’s dispatches to his Government. The writer had already sent him a precis of what had been gathered by him up till that date, and Dr AlcNab was successful in obtaining copies of <i great deal ol matter — so much Llnit lie intended making it the subject: of a book. This his lamented death unfortunately prevented.” In confirmation of the above a sentence may he quoted from a letter ol Captain I/ivaud to the French Government, dated August 19th, 1849. He says: “In ending this dispatch I must "repent to Your Excellency (the French Alinisler for Alarine) my whole idea—no colonisation is possible in these -eas. if we do not obtain Lie withdrawal of those proclamations and declarations as to the Island of Tawai Peon a noon (Middle Island.)” The proclamations referred to were those of Captain Hobson, declaring the South Island British territory. It may be added that the French colonists who came under Captain Lavaud were given the choice of remaining on Banks Peninsula under British sovereignty. or being taken to some island in tbe Pacific, that was under French sovereignty. They had', however, such a disagreeable voyage of six months’ duration that, they would not face the sea. again, and elected to remain at Akaroa.