NEW ZEALAND'S "GRACE DARLING."

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 81, 1 May 1909, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND'S "GRACE DARLING."

HTJIUA MATEMJA'S BKAVE FEAT. The late Mr. Alfred Saunders, in the second volume of hits "History of >'ew Zealand," thus describes the incident which earned for Mrs. Martin the title of "New Zealand's Grace Darling":Oil Friday morning, 4th September, 1803, the brigantinc Delaware, 241 tons, was wrecked in a gale on an extremely rocky coast between Pepins Island and the mainland near Wakapuaka. The «rew appeared to be out or sight and out of hearing of all human assistance, "but the iuate, Henry. Squirrell, who was an excellent swimmer and a remarkably brave man, tied a line round his waist in the vain hope, that lie could swim through the rocky surf to the shore. Me lowered himself into the water by climbing down the martingale of the ship, but h e was immediately dashed by the rough sea on to the rocks and rendered insensible, apparently dead. 'He was hauled on board by the rope around his body, and laid iu one of the bunks of the forecastle. .Inst as this had been done, and all possibility of rescue seemed to be cut oil', live Maoris—four men and a woman—appeared on the beach, and, led by the woman, they bravely dashed into the surf and swam to a rock •near enough to th e ship for the lend- ' line to be thrown to the rock. This line 1 they took on shore, and dragged a reselling line after it, which two pi them held, so as to pJeyent it being broken by any niotion of the ship, whilst the other three, including the woman, swam out again and arranged themselves so i as to steady the less capable Europeans in their dangerous attempts to reach ; the shore. In 'this way the crow and the one passenger were all saved, except the disabled mate. n;ho was .supposed to lie dead. The captain was. as he should "be, the last to land, and as sooh as he was landed the line parted, having probably 'been fastened on shore. The brave ; mate soon afterwards recovered eon- ; -sciolism's*, and appeared on deck, but nothing could be done for him, ami in a few minutes he was washed overboard. His body came On shore next day, ami ; upon it an inquest was held, at Which jail witnesses«agrced that, but for the Maoris, not a soul could have l«en | saved, even with the line, as the .Maoris "rushed into the surf and dragged each man on shore as h 0 came stupefied from the wreck through the surf." Had 'Julia's heroic work been done in Great f Tiritain she would probably have figured [: a* high in the world's historv. as (.Irnee I Darling herself, and. with her <iuio.t. I .gentle, modest manner, she is still rej .sarded as lovingly by the settlers of t "Kelson. On thp'recommendation of the jury, the (ienernl Government gave L.VI ; each to-Mia. to her husband Martin, .and to her brother liobprt. ami CIO ,-cach to the two other Maoris. The ,-settlers or Nelson gave them each a gold watch and a complimentary address. The address to Julia ranked her with Grace Darling, and concluded in ■these words:—"That deed made Oiace ."Darling a heroine, her fame spread • throughout Europe, and her meniorv is still fondly cherished wherever the Kntr- • lish language is spoken. And. like her Julia, your name and deed will liml i -•mice in local history. Vour brave act ;'s cue of which a (pieen micht be proud. present you with a watch, whereon .: oir children and their successors may •veal with pleasure an inscription which -■estilies to the esteem in which von are "hehl by the settlers of Xelsou."' Julia'.; linsliaiiil made a neat replv in Maori, which was translated hv Mr. Mackay. in the course of which he" said that •''•■ e ■of the Maoris hail the least idea of receiving any reward for saving the lives ■of their shipwrecked European friends, and only did what they could out of a •desire to save life.''

A few years ago. at a Sncietv fiinc "tion in aid of a charity hi London, the '•nhotographs of the original <;-•■.. |)-irling and Huria Matenga were '••■ sid"by side, the tatter's picture hn'-'-i- •■en forwarded at the instance of Mr. \Y. F, Gordon.