MAORILAND MEMORIES.

NZ Truth, Issue 63, 1 September 1906, Page 7

MAORILAND MEMORIES.

Attempted Settlements by the French.

(BY* OLD CHUM.")

Soon -after the arrival of Bishop Pompallier, as dejtoilea . last week, other i French ships appeared In New 'Zealand, i I (and it looker! as if France intended to | r plant her flap, whate'er may betide. However, while do ;Thierry was existing miserably and nursing his hopes of ultimate^ l.y ascending his "throne," a man of active brain, extrretue cunning, and m no way hampered ihy modesty, had caught THE COLONISATION FEVER), and had, witli great show of success, commenced operations. Edward Gibbon Wakefield's brpther and representative, j Colonel Wakcftajd, encountered the Baron at Hokiangai '„'in dispute with all the proprietors of the district," and talking loudly of obtaining a French war vessel to assist m ejecting the settlers already on the laud. The Baron m his "Autobiography"' thus describes a dialogue between himself and Colonel Wakefield. He had m March, 1334, issued a proclamation, "GIVEN AT MOUNT ISABEL," to regulate land sales within his territory. He says that the colonel proposed to unite the Baron's establishment with that of the New Zealand Company. The Baron went into an explanation of the dishonest means adopted to keep him out of his property. Wakefield sympathised, apd said that it was "absurd to roil at the price (36 axes) given for my forty thousand acres. We got (said Wakefield) upwards of a million- acres at the south for less than fifty pounds m trade." Wakefield's £50 "m trade" contained some curiousMtems, for a semi-religious peace-loving company such as Wakefield's professed to be. Two hundred muskets, 39 guvs, 81 kegs of gunpowder, 2 casks of ball cartridge, 200 car-touche-boxes, 24 bullet moulds, and 1500 Dints, with a gross of jews harps and other nic-nacks. The Baron's scheme for the establishment of his "French kingdom" at a cost of 30 axes completely collapsed, and the disappointed adventurer paid the debt of nature many years after, that is to say, on July 8, 3864. The next adventurer who attempted to plant the TRICOLOR OF FRANCE m Maoriland was a certain Captain Langlois, master of a French whaler, who, m 1838, had arranged with certain chiefs for the purchase of all "Banks' Peninsula, with the exception of the Bay of Hikuraki and Oihoa." The . cash instalment to be paid was 150 francs, about J&G 15s of English money, without allowing for exchange. But . Mons. .Langlois made a special bargain that if he did not produce 150 francs m silver he would produce the coins' value, m old clothes. Some half a. century ago a standing advertisement m many London, newspapers used to offer the highest price for LEJFT OFF CLOTHING FOR AUSTRALIA ! Here is an advertisement from the "Illustrated London. News," December 18, 1858 :—

, "Wanted, left-off clothes for Australia, itv good or inferior condition. Mr. and Mrs. .tbhn lsar.es, 319 and 320 Strand,

oßpcsi'.e "Somerset House, continue to glVe the highest price m cash for ladies', 'igentlenien's and,, children's clothes, reginieiVtJais,,.. under-C-lothrng, boots, books, ieweirerv s and all miscellaneous property. Letters -for- any day or distance punctually attended to. Parcels sent from the country, either large or small, the ut-

most vol-ie returned 'by post-office order the s:une day. 'Reference London and W. stmir.sttr Bank. RstablisheTd 49 years. "■> Of course I cannot pretend that Captain Lanjjlois was interested m some Parisian "llr. and Mrs. Isaacs" when he contem-

plated buying "all Banks' Peninsula" with 140 !rancs" worth of clothing, and a ; fßw"bthT;r~itiMr>s of cheap commerce of t'-.o Petticoat-Wine order.

Laii'.'lois was to pay the balance of the "purchasi; money" m guns, sabres, gunpowder, clothes, wine, a tambour, "and ether urtidns creditable to his ingenuity If useless to the Maoris." The Adventurer Lanp.lois returned to New Zealand m August, 18-10, m the

COMTF. DX "PARIS WHALER, with 57 -settlers, with others to follow. T'.o Lnnpii n v'trado" Was valued at B:>riit tiling like £200 and lihen the formal agreement of sale was signed, but only by n. few Maoris. In New South Wales, •however, was a very "cute engineer

.officer," a 'bit of a red-tapist certainly, hut s\ man of some brains, George Gipps, who. as Governor of the Mother Colony, hen) a. guardi unship over New. Zealand. I?< January. IS4O. Sir George Gipps proclaimed all such, land trans-actions illegal. Captain T-lobsoii had asserted the soversl^Tity of Quret'i Victoria, and many of the Akaroa Maoris repudiated the impudent assumption of Langlois. Tuhalwaki, the principal chief, simply laughed at Langlois and his gevr-gaws. I'ut yet another obstacle presented itself to the whaling captain, Langlois. When he reached Akaroa with his settlers he ' found that he had been anticipated

by Captain Hobson, who, under special

instruction?, , sent the Britpmart man-of-war to the Peninsula to noist the British- 'flay and thereby assert

BRITAIN'S SUPREMACY m that auarter, irrespective of the Frogontitr's alleged purchase from the original owners of the soil. The French frigate L'Aubft was also at, the Bay of Islands. Captain Holsnn as the representative of a friendly nation met her officers with cordiality and hospitality. The Britoluart was also m the t harbor, her captain being Owen Stanley, a brother of the famous Dean of Westminster. Hobson wrote Stanley that it was of the utmost importance that 'the authority of her Majesty should be most unequivocally exercised throughout the remote parts of the colony, and particularly mi n the Middle and Southern Islands, "where foreign influence and <iven interference is to be apprehended. Th«r> are various rumors current that Cap4a, n Lava-ad, of the French corvette LAube now at anchor m this port is. employed m the furtherance of designs ■uch; as I have before mentioned. From •H observations which fell f rom him I observed that it was his intention to proceed to the South Islands, bein£ «„ dsr an impression that the land at Aka roa jand Banks' Peninsula is the property of aj French subject. These circumstances excite m tny mind a strong preaumotJnn that he is charged with Bom, m S On t that quarter imcompatible with tie

SOVEREIGN RIGHTS OF HER j MAJESTY, . which it will bo your study by every imeajs ■• to frustrate. If my suspicions terove correct, \he L'Aube will nodoubt [proceed to Akaroa and Banks' Peninsula [for frhich place I have earnestly to T erauest that you will depart with the utmo9^ expedition, as it will be a point of the utmost consideration that on his arrival at that port he may find you m occupation, and that it will be out of bis power to dislodge you without coma&ittlng some act of hostility." Hobson further told Captain Stanley thai; should Captain Lavaud anticipate aim at Akaroa or anywhere else he was to remonstrate and impress upon him that, such a proceeding must be considered as a decided act of hostile invasion.

S Captain Hobson further fortified Captain Stanley with a copy of Major Bunfoury's certificate that the Maoris had m the most formal manner ceded the sovereignity of tho South Islands when they Wgned the famous TREATY AT WAITANGI, wd special attention was called to the bovereJgnty proclamation on May 21. paptain Hobson was also careful m cautioning St.-wiley to observe the utmost Itcncjr m Uw.-BHttttri £0» th« Hubjwtt

of this communication I Save to request the most inviolable secrecy from all except your superior officers, to whom it may be necessary to report your proceedings. The ostensible reason of your crusade may appear to be the conveyance

of two magistrates to Port Nicholson (now Wellington), the real object is to defeat the movements of any foreign ship of war that may be engaged m establishing a settlement on any part of the coast •••«•".■, 7m o land."

It appears, however, that Captain Lavaud had not the intentions which. Hobson suspected him of ; at least. Hobson appears to have acquitted him of any such intention, _ as he wrote, Satanley that the "French force m these seas have no similar or concealed object m view. It will, however, be our duty to watch their proceedings and to interrupt any of their measures that may be deemed inimical to the rights or

* PRIVILEGES OF" HER MAJESTY. It has been reported that some French emigrants are ' on their way from Europe to settle m some' part of these islands. Should that prove true, I particularly re- 1 quest that you will visit the place of their disembarkation and land one of the magistrates, who will act under the instructions I have now the honor to enclose to meet [that contingency."

The instructions set out that the Magistrate was to hold a court on' shore, and should no case be brought under consideration •to adjourn from day to day, carefully recording and reporting to Hobaon all proceedings. In his biography, the Baron de Thierry reveals the fact that some Frenchmen thought it to be Lavaud's duty to anticipate the Britomart. He declared that he warned Lavaud; ttiat he told him a trick was to be played on him; that ho -would find the BRITISH FLAG FLYING AT AKAROA when he got there; that Captain Stanley would get the start of him, etc.- De Thierry called Akaroa a French station, and when he heard that Lavaud found the English flag flying there he wrote, "It is unquestionably true that the French lost the port of Akaroa."

One authority says that the' words of the vivacious Thierry must be accepted with caution. He was angry with Levaud for not, "by the strong voice of authority," prevailing on the natives at Hokianga "to give back my own," meaning the land he claimed. "The whites upon my property should not be, taught that they were more criminal ,m buying what they well knew, was already mine than the natives wore In selling." L»avaud prudently declined the complicated task put before him, but humanely offered to take the Baron to France as the guest of the nation. De Thierry's family preferred to remain if he would do so. Finding Lavaud unwilling to interfere at Hokianga, the Baron was annoyed at such neglect of a Frenchman's claims on '"la grande Nation." Lavaud courteously told him that by '

THE CODE NAPOLEON he had no claims. He had not been drawn for conscription — the only test. The, Baron asked for letters of recommendation to French ships, and Lavaud gave him such.- Though he accepted, De Thierry wrote that Lavaud had not accorded to him the "protection toute speciale" to which he considered himself entitled.

It was proved afterwards that Langlois had endeavored by other means to forestall Stanley.- Laug-lois was now 'professedly acting on behalf of the French Government and the Nauto-Bordelaiso Company. He was

AT PIGEON BAY, on the north coast of the Peninsula, before the Britomart had anchored on the south, and had procured Maori signatures — or heiroglyphics, which answered the same purpose — to a deed conveying enormous tracts of land across the island; but the Maoris averred emphatically that they never received any consideration. One of the principal chiefs maintained that he had claims over the whole island, aad he had sold nothing and had signed no deed. Langlois obtained more "signatures" at Akaroa, although he found Stanley and the Britomart there, and was aware that Victoria had been proclaimed Sovereign. ,Tn the report of the Land Commissioners, 21/10/43, the land which the Maoris admitted having contracted for amounted to 400 acres.

As mentioned before, the Britomart encountered stormy weather, but Stanley beat. the French vessel by three days, and the Frenchman found the flag mast high when, he- arrived.-

On the day following the arrival of the French corvette, tho French immigrants, under Langlois, m the Comte de Paris, arrived. Langlois agreed that his countrymen should land m an unoccupied part of the bay, and that until fresh instructions should be obtained from the English and' French Governments, the immigrants should only build shelter houses and make gardens.

Captain Stanley was keen to every movement. He found that the French whaler had on board

SIX LONG TWENTYVFOIJR POUNDERS, and ho protested against their being landed with the immigrant settlers. Captain Lavaud expressed his surprise at the fact of the guns having" been sent out and assured Stanley that they should not be landed. The resident magistrate, who held a court without cases, and who should have been presented with a pair of white kid gloves each morning, as ncr -custom, became a guest on board the French frigate until he could build himself a house or whare on shore, and Captain Stanley, feeling that he had

SECURED BRITISH INTERESTS and had left nothing undone which should be done, sailed away m the Britomart, and left the French whaler and his immigrants to their own devices.

Mr. Robinson, the magistrate, about whom little Is known, proved a diplomat. He agreed to assist the French m keeping the little French' colony m order until some definite arrangements could bo made between the English and French Governments respecting the conflicting land claims on the Peninsula, and Captain Lavaud promised to help Robinson m keeping order, but he objected to the English flag being hoisted over his countrymen. This arrangement was sanctioned by Hobson and approved m England; How the French claims were settled to the satisfaction of the English will' ))* tpl4-&axt ,wukj q