DEATH OF AN OLD SETTLER.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1748, 3 November 1917, Page 2

DEATH OF AN OLD SETTLER.

INTERESTING REMINISCENCES. . Some exciting experiences of early days are recalled by the death, at Wanganui, of Mr John Jones. Mr Jones’ family went to Wanganui in 1841, and be himself was one of the oldest settlers of the district. When quite young he made a voyage to Fiji with Captain “Bully” Hayes, the pirate of the South Pacific. Hay.es, whose identity was unknown, went to Wanganui with the chartered schooner Shamrock, of about 60 tons register. A re-, charter was arranged by Mr Jones and the late “Lawyer” Roberts, and the Shamrock went to' Fiji with a shipment of cattle, Mr Jones ac-. companying the vessel as supercargo. In Levuka the young supercargo witnessed a cannibal feast. On the return to New Zealand with a cargo of fruit and Fiji curios, Mr Jones had a narrow escape from drowning while effecting a landing. Another interesting incident recallel relates to the Kai Iwi-Nukumaru campaign in the Maori wars. Several bullock teams of the commissariat section had strayed from camp in to the bush at Kai Iwi, and got into the hands of the Natives. The latter tied some of them to trees, and lay in ambush. Mr Jones and another trooper set out to re»r lease the bullocks. They left their horses on the edge of the bush, and while in the act of cutting the ann mals free the Natives rushed them, Mr Jones had some difficulty in, reaching his horse, and was attacked by a pursuing Native, whom he shot dead, and although other Natives were in hot pursuit he grabbed a handsome mat from the dead Native’s body, and succeeded in reaching ojxen country, where he was protected by the fire of the soldiers, who had come to the rescue. For this, Mr Jones was mentioned in despatches.