TUAKAU.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 3, Issue 190, 28 April 1914, Page 1

TUAKAU.

Some Reminiscences. (By Our Travelling Representative,) Amongst ths oldest residents mentioned in ths "Times" of March 20th, in connection with the early days of Tuakau, waß the name of Mr J. Collins. On a recent visit, Mr Collins informed me that Mrs Jones, Mr W. Clark and himself wers the only three left of the original and first pioneers to Tuakau. Mr Collins arrived in Tuakau about the 20th July, 1865. His first trip up, notwithstanding the 49 years that have elapsed, is still fresh in his memory. The time taken probably constituted a record and would doubtless be indelibly impressed in any one's recollections. Leaving Onehunga one bright morning, on arrival at_ the Manukau heads the station signals showed that the bar was dangerous and could not be crossed, and for a week they were constrained to lay at anchor inside one of the many sheltered bays in the vicinity. At last they got out and made a quick run up to the Waikato heads only to meet with the same trouble here. The Waikato bar was too rough for a sailing vessel and for three weary weeks they had to manoeuvre about the coast hetween the Waikato heads and Kawhia. And when at last a landing was made at Tuakau it was just four weeks since they caßt cff from the Onehunga jetty. "Ah," said MrCollini, "but then our troubles had only started. We were all camped in tents across there"—indicating the fields in front of his house—"and one right a storm came and pretty nearly washed us all away. Tents were blown down, clothes and belongings were all satura'ed and we all had to crowd into tie few tents that remained standing till daylight when our camp presented a regular scene ot deflation. Major Lusk," said Mr Collins, "had surveyed out the township area and as it was necessary to do something lor us the Government gave us work making rosds. We got a few days work each week and received the sum of 4s per day. however, this helped us along and as the bush was teeming with wild pigeons and pigs we fared pretty well for tucker, but all groceries weie very expensive. Flour was 30s per cwt. and was more than half maize meal and was as yellow as mustard. Sugar was 7d per lb and as black as charcoal, butter 3s 6d per lb, Is 6d tin for jam, 6d box for matches—and such like! But just up there by Mr Bovil's house we got some splendid pig?. I remember two well, which weighed ovei 3 cwt. each, and you could stand at one tree and shoot as many pigeons as you could carry away. So for meat, we managed alright." "About this time," continued my informant, "there was some talk of utilising the flax fibre which abounded in this district and I decided to try my luck with it, and I was one of the first around here to take it up. At first we used to hackle the green flax, hut then someone said it was much eatier done if boiled and th«n rolled. So the Government Bent up a large boiler that held a ton of green flax. We used to cut it in the daytime and boil up at night and after a good boiling put it through the rollers, a sort of mangle affair. It was put through this five or six times and then washed and bleached. The merchant who used to take the fibre

daid this waa the best he had ever seen and fur years we worked on in this style. Later the machine similar to those now used came along, but we reckoned we made more money by the boilirg process." To an enquiry as to how the fibre was got away Mr Collins stated that it was taken up tne Waikatu river in a canoe and down the Maungatawhni creek tu the Great South road, from which point it was carted to Auckland. Carting at those times used to cost £3 per ton to Auckland and £4 back.

Before leaving Mr Collins the "Times" representative was introduced to de greenhouse, for now flax-dressing has given way to the mure pleasaot occupation of orchard and nursery^work. There are two glaes houses, one 60 feet and the other 90 feet long. Into the latter I was taken and was allowed to sample a bugch of the luxurious purple grapes. A rough estimate put down the crop here at 800 bunches which would average 21b each, and of the quality there was ro question The bunches had been carefully thinned and every grape was a perfect specimen bath in tize and flavour, as everyone knows who has been fortunate enough to taste and try.

At Mr Collins' I was fortunate enough to meet Mrs Jones, another of the original Tuakau pioneers. She informed me that theWesleyan church was the firtt church built in Tuakau (tome doubt having been expressed in the "Times'' of 20ih inst..), it reing built by Mr Wfclktr, who kept the tlore, and aMr Holme?. Mrs Jones, said Bhe did net come by biat to Tuakoti. Her husband and self walked up aiid so arrived about a month before Mr Collins. He was making his mtmotable trip in the cutter whilst she was walking. "And," said she, "we got 10s each from the Government for walki'g up and that was a let in those limes, and we brought a dog and a cat with us." A kit of meat that was part of their load was used as a pillow the first night of the journey and some cheeky b'jFh rats came and eat the meat out of the kit under Mr Junes' head. Other incidents similar to these are still fresh in Mra Jones' memory. Incidentally if may be mentioned that notwithstanding many jeaisof hardship Mrs Jones is still bright and hearty and htr memory of ell early episodes is particularly clear and aecuratc. Another very old hand was met later in the day in the person of Mr W. Young, who arrived with the Ganges party at Tuakau on the 14th Fetuary, 1865. "My first jab in New Zealand," said Mr Young, "was at blasting stcn;-s at Onehunga, and as 1 had seme experience at that class of woik I got along slrignt. 1 was later aEked it I would go into the bush, but (using Mr Young's expression) I did not know any more about the bush than a "suppin' turkey." However, with James Dilworth acd Russell 1 started out for Pukekohe. lhe first job we struck was picking potatoes and we were offered Is a sack and our tucker. By night we were pretty tired and weie somewhat dismayed when we were si.own into a whare ta spend the night without a bunk or a blanket of any sort, for we had nothing with* ua but what we stood up in. Well, we got some hay and crawled ilto it like dogs and slept well, Dilworth using his boots as a pillow. But breakfast was the knock-cut. We went down to the house thinking to get a decent fctd, and all we were given was three pubtoej and a shtep's heart. Well, by ni^ht we lnd 15 sacks picked and I went and demanded our more); tut we wtre told to cl ar out. So I said to ny mates: 'l'm g'-ing to havi my money or its value. Yiu tell them at the house that I'm mad and they'd better sfttle up or there is no knowing what I'd do.' I went and madd a hay rope and caught a horse that was in the paddock, jumptd en it and started off. The boss eoon came after me and kept calling out to come back ar.il he would pay ua, but I just went on and took no notice till he came up to me and paid up, ana I let him have thn horse. I forget the man's name- but I remember he was a parson of some sort." Mr Young has a keen s nsc of humour and was gieatly tickled at the success of hia strategy "Oh, yes," said he, "J got here al ightand got on theee road works. We made the road from Pokeno tT Tuakau first thing,"

Though over 70 years cld Mr Young is also hah and hearty and was on the occasion of my visit out top-dressing his liolJs by hand with a mixure of slag—a job that many a young man would nhhk at. His good wife looks ai'tei the househuld affairs and tikes a keen interest in the prcgress of the settlement and the reports that appear in the "Times."