A LEAF FROM ANCIENT HISTORY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 59, 8 May 1907, Page 4

A LEAF FROM ANCIENT HISTORY.

THE WANUALMOAXA ESTATE. I RENTED AT £2O PER ANNUM IN - 1853. FREEHOLD SOLD LAST .MONTH FOR 1 £101,484. The recent very successful sale of the Wangaimoana Estate for the sum of i £101,484 has led a resident of the Wai- ' rarap.i in the early fifties to become re- ' miniscent. Mr George Leslie, who i- ' now a resilient of Welington, who, upon leaving the Wairar.ipa.was well known 1 aft coashman to Barney Rhodes, the millionaire, in a letter to Mr A. Murray, of G'raytown, writes as follows : —"Whit changes! Time certainly works wonders. and fifty-four years sec many developments. But little did I think when 1 was a working hand on Tauranganui ' Station in December, 183'.!. that 1 should live to see the W'angaimoana Estate fetch £101,484 at the hammer. This estate was original}' leased from the ' natives for the sum of C2O per annum. How 1 know that hi- was the price is became, when I was on the station I have named above, at the shearing time of 185:1, which station was owned then by the late Joseph Kelly, the sale of the • \Vairarapa blocks took place there. The natives gathered in full force, there being over one thousand present, all armed" with native spears and flint-lock guns, potent enough persuaders. I can assure you. in those days, especially as we were practically unarmed. Little wonder that we felt some slight qualms of fear le-t hostilites might break out. Luckily, however, no such untoward eveDt tok place, and all was settled amicably. Sir George Grey, ])r leatherston and Richard Deighton (interpreter) were present, but Sam Jlahupuku was not there, llis sister Penelope was there, and as a matter of course every settler in the district was in attendance. Feasting and war dancing were the preludes to business, ami when these were over Sir George Grey read out all the names of those who had lea-ed lands from the natives Among (he list 1. well remember -1. Kelly's at £l'J per year and I'. llarvic at about the same price. MeMastcr paid proportionately tor the Wimrakaka plains—the preseni site of Martinborough. Captain Smilli then hatl some cattle on the lands now in occn|Kition of the Martins. The sale lasted two diys, and the second of the two was pay-day. W'he n the Maoris received payment of their rents they gave it to the children to play with for a time. A sovereign more or less was nothing to the natives. After tiie sale there were more speeches, anil the ipiestion of the right to open up the spit at the Like Settlement was discussed, and I think there was Some money paid for the lake lights. 1 could go on indefinitely about the ancient history of the Wairarapa. but will conclude for tile present by stating that the native nmne of the lVairarapa was Widropa. /