EARLY REMINISCENCES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 3733, 20 December 1906, Page 2

EARLY REMINISCENCES.

The Mosquito Fleet.

It is always a pleasure to listen to reminiscences of early settlers and we are sure there is no old settler living in the district who is more qualified to tell of the early settlement in the Manawatu than our respected townsman, Mr George Nye. We shall publish from time to time information gleaned from him respecting the early days which will be read with interest.

Mr Nye furnishes us with the names of the vessels comprising tne " Mosquito Fleet,” which traded to the set tlement. about 16 miles up the river, from Wellington, Lyttelton and elsewhere between the years 1844-65: Mary Ann (schooner), Phoebe, Emerald, Scotia, Flora McDonald, Mary Jane, Hannah, Shepherdess, the brig William, Kate, Fishenjian, William and Henry,,Salopian, Maraketa, Fly, Catherine Johnston, Nautulus, Kate Mona ghan, Black Jim. The tonnage of these ranged from 44 up to 65 tons (except the Ann of Sydney which made her first trip in 1844, bringing the machinery for Messrs Thomas and John Kebbell’s flour and sawmills). The following are the names of some of the skippers: Messrs Davidson, Parquharson, Morrison, Hughes, Sedco!e, Brown, Hardly, Underwood, Simeno, Armstrong and Jenkins. THE BIG EARTHQUAKE.

The heaviest earthquake that occurred within the knowledge of the oldest Natives and Europeans happened on 29th January at 20 minutes past 9 p.m. JU ,1885. The centre of vol- . canic action was between Capo Egmont and Stephen’s Island. The Manawatu and surrounding district seemed to suffer more severely from the shake than other parts. The shock was preceded by loud rumblings, and the surface of the earth rose and fell like the waves of the sea. Large fissures opened from a foot to twelve feet wide. As the surface settled down large quantities of muddy water and sulphurous phumes escaped through these crevices. The surface of the ground appeared as if it had been ploughed. Many slips occurred on the mountain ranges and could be plainly seen from Foxton. The atmosphere for sometime after the shake was impregnated with sulphur fumes, which caused a feeling of nauseous sickness. Mr Nye says the shocks occurred at intervals during a period of six months, many of them being sharp enough to knock chimneys down and cause other damage. iThe big upheaval caused considerable damage to properties on the banks of the river, and wrecked many of the houses, shifting them off their blocks and the chimneys came tumbling through the roofs. There was however, no loss of life. Kebbell’s saw and flour mills and buildings suffered very severely and the machinery and steam pipes were broken. Messrs Kebbell Bros then decided to remove to Wellington, where they erected a large flour mill. Most of the other settlers had to pull down their houses and remove them to the Awahou, which is now known as Foxton, and rebuild. That broke up the early settlement on the banks of the Manawatu, 16 miles up the river. The whole of the sand- * hills running from the coast inland, were split from end to end.