THE AKAROA JUBILEE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2087, 19 August 1890, Page 3

THE AKAROA JUBILEE.

The following editorial from Tuesday’* New. Zealand Times is doubtless from the pen of our old friend Mr Loughnan :• —“ Another Jubilee was celebrated yesterday, the, Jubilee of Akaroa. That pleasant place began life a few months;lfter the Hutt, of which Sir Grey and the Mariner with" the granite face hare been lately discoursing of by night and by day. But it has not progressed quite in the same ratio. Captain Cook saw the place some little time ago and called it an island. He was wrong, like a great many folk who judge by appearances/ After him 11 long© interrallo ” came whalers. One of them, named Heinpleman, bought the whole box and dice for ah old boat called the *• Mary Ann, including two sails and a jib.’* He did hot get more than 500 acres of some barren mountain, which 'w-be sold to enable him to bring a law--7 suit against the Colonial Government, which suit failed, y Before. the arrival

of that Government on the scene another a Frenchman named J.nnglois t bought the whole place over again gomehow-r-hargains were bargains in those days—-and sold it to the Nanto-Bordelaise Company—in which King Louis Phillippe was an enterprising shareholder. The Company sent out a batch of emigrants in the good ship Comte de Paris. When that Teasel arrived her people were surprised by seeing the British flag flying. They said it was “ Peffide Albion.” It certainly was hard lines. The frijeate s'encodt with the emigrants from was commanded by a rollicking Gaul of the name of Lavand, who chose to go round by Auckland, where alow-going Governor Hobson entertained him like a royal prince. But while the Frenchman was enjoying life and Akaroa which he was going- to.annex,.the Governor became for once in his ’ life quick., He sent the H.M.S, Britomart, with Mr Bobinson the B. M. On board. Tho French expedition was like bur ; army in Flanders, it'swore. Part of it went off to the Marquesas Islands and part remained. The descendants of the latter are still there, and remarkably good colonists rthey make. To them have come Englishmen, Irishmen, Scotchmen, Danes, Finns, Portuguese, bpaniards, and it is said one stray Turk.” The Lyttelton Times is our authority for this allegation'and most of the facts we are .discussing. We doubt the Turk. We never heard him, which is nothing, as Turks are “ unspeakable,” according to Carlyle; and we never heard of him, which is more to the purpose. The esmmunity is nevertheless a flourishing community of some 5000 souls, of whom it is said that they know not the Bankruptcy Court. They possess beeves and muttons, they export cheese and butter and grass seed, and they are represented by Mr McGregor, the Government Whip. Can any country desire more? If the Nanto-Bordei-aise had only foreseen this great destiny, they would not have sworn at “ Perfido Albion ”on the memorable day of their jftrival. '