MR. JOHN WEBSTER'S DEATH

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 295, 10 June 1912, Page 7

MR. JOHN WEBSTER'S DEATH

A NOTABLE OLD COLONIST. STORY OF THE "WANDERER." Mr. John Webster, one of the earliest settlers of the North Auckland district, died at his son's residence at Devonport last week, at the advanced age of 94. Mr. Webster was born at Montrose, Scotland, on June 30, 1818, the son of Mr. Andrew Webster, a merchant; and he was educated at the Montrose Aca-

demy. His youth included strenuous games, and his life was crowded with a series of adventures and stirring incidents such as befal few men. In 1833 he

went to Glasgow,. and he entered the office of Mr. J. L. Patterson, merchant and exporter. Like other lads of his nation, young John Webster neglected neither his work nor his books, and he was especially fond of reading works bearing upon adventures and travel. These books gave so strong a bias to hk mind that by the time he was 20 he was fully determined to visit new lands. In August 1838, Mr. Webster left Glasgow for Sydney in the barque Portland, arriving in the latter port after a passage of 138 days. He met Mr. Edward Howes and his brothers, station-holders, and in 1839 journeyed overland, with a mob of 900 cattle, to Adelaide, the journey occupying four months. Next year he made another journey with cattle, and his party were the first white men to traverse the banks of the Murray River. Mr. Webster then discovered the Edward river, naming it after Mr. Edward Howes. At Adelaide he met Captain (afterwards Sir George) Grey. The first steamer to reach thee olonies, a paddle-boat with a top speed of five konts, called Thirteen, was at Adelaide, and in her Mr. Webster went to Melbourne, which consisted then of only a few tents. AT HOKIANGA WITH SIR JOHN L.

CAMPBELL. He sailed for Hokianga in the barque Jupiter, on April 20, 1841, with the intention of joining his brother, William, who had two years previously arrived in the colony, and was the first colonist to start a sawmill in New Zealand. Mr. John Webster joined him at Hokianga. Sir John Logan Campbell was then at Hokianga, and he and Mr. Webster used to pull in a canoe together to visit the Maori chiefs. Sir Joohn L. Campbell has ever been held in the highest esteem by Mr. Webster, and was his oldest living friend. Mr. Webster was at Hokianga through all the troublous times of Ileke's i war in 184'5, and he and the late Judge Manning were much together during that period. After Hoke's war Mr. Webster went to Auckland, and in 1849 was supercargo for a vessel belonging to Messrs Brown and Campbell, and as such visited' California. INCEPTION OF THE WANDERER EXPEDITION. It was during his visit to California ! that Mr. Webster decided to take part in one of those adventurous undertakings to which he was strongly attracted by the influence of his early reading. He joined Mr. Benjamin Boyd in a cruise to several of the islands in the Pacific in the Wanderer, a handsome and fast-sail-ing schooner of 240 tons, which carried an armament of 13 guns, one of which, known as "Long Tom," afterwards found a peaceful resting place in Albert Park, where it has for a long time been a familiar object to Aucklanders. The, Wanderer was accompanied by the tender Ariel, which carried the supplies. The command of the boat was given to Mr. Webster, but as he preferred to sail with Mr. Boyd in the Wanderer he handed over the smaller vessel to the charge of a sailing master (Mr. Bradley). Two other friends of Mr. Boyd (Messrs Crawford and Barnes) were also associated in the enterprise. The only other white man in the party was the sailing master lof the Warnderer : (Mr. Oi'.'.'Vc!':). The } crews of both vessels were composed of islanders, that of the Ariel being exclusively natives of the New Hebrides. WANTED—A PAPUAN REPUBLIC. The love of strange scenes and romantic adventure was a conunon bond between Mr. Boyd and Mr. Wegster, and it was this desire for travel out of.the beaten tracks of the sea that constitutedthe great attraction in the case of the Wanderer's cruise. There was, however, a definite object in view, and this is explained in Mr. Webster's interesting history of "The Last Cruise of 1 the Wanderer," which he published sbihe ; years later. The aim of the expedition, die explains in his preface to this interesting little book, "was to establish a Papuan republic or confederation; to lay the foundation-stone of some sort of social and political organisation, on which the simple machinery of an independent state might be,afterwards erected. '."Had not "death cut short Mr. Boyd's career he would doubtless have succeeded in his object." THE DEATH OP HEN BOYD. The Wanderer left San Francisco on June 3, 1851, and after a four months' pleasant cruise, during which several of the groups of islands in the Pacific were visited, the Solomon Islands were reached in October. It was here that a sad disaster, which deprived the party of its leader, overtook the expedition. The Wanderer was anchored off the island of-, Gaudalcanar, and early one morning Mr. Boyd went ashore witdi a native boy, proceeding in a small boat into the' mouth of a small river that ran into the harbor. Shortly after his departure the party on the Wanderer were attacked by natives. The latter 'vere repulsed, and their canoes having be ;i either sunk or destroyed, the savages took flight. A diligent search was made for Mr. Boyd and the native boy, but neither was discovered, and it was assumed that both had met their death at the hands of the natives. Mr. Boyd carried a doublebarrelled gun, and as two shots were heard in close succession shortly after he had landed, it was,,presumed that he fell | whilst defending himself against the savages. The boat was discovered oh the beach of the stream into which he had pulled. THE FATE OF THE WANDERER. The sad fate of Mr. Boyd, which cast a gloom over the party, was followed less than a month later by further disaster. The AVanderer, whilst off the Australian coast, was wrecked near Port

Macquarie, 011 November 13. A member of tlie crew swam ashore lay means of a line, and all hands were thereby saved. After the unfortunate ending of his island cruise, Mr. Webster snent some time on the Australian goldfields. Tie then revisited the Old Country, and when there had the honor of showing some

sketches of the islands which lie had visited during the 'Wanderer's cruise to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. He returned to Hokianga in 1865, when he married the daughter of his old friend, Mr. G. F. Russell, of Kohukohu. Mr. Webster entered extensively into the timber trade with his younger brother, Mr. A. S. Webster, who had offices in j Sydney, and traded largely with India, | China, America and England. The bro- | titers were in the business from 1855 t<! 1874, when they sold out their timber ureas and ships to various purchasers. Mr. Webster had previously bought 70fl acres of land at Opononi, Hokianga harbor. It wtas then so bleak as to bft little better than a widderness. and for several years all his efforts at planting were frustrated by the winds. However, by persevering with thickly-planted trees, he at last succeeded in making

Opononi an ideal homestead and pastoral farm, where he for years entertained distinguished visitors to the district, including the Earls of Glasgow and Ranfurly, and other New Zealand Governors.