THE EARLY DAYS

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 10714, 5 October 1912, Page 3

THE EARLY DAYS

AX 1 XTERESTiXG 11ECX)R1>. J An extract from .an old Almanac and Guide to Wellington explain.; :• quaint of tno history of t.iafc sotileaiont. Soon after the whip Tory arrive:! from London, Colonel Wakefield, the Now Zealand Company's agent, entered into negotiations with the Maoris owning Wellington and the surrounding districts, and, on September 27, 1839, obtained the sig- 1 natures (marks) of Epuni, Wi Take Warepori, and nine other influential chiefs to a deed of purchase comprising; "the whole bay, harbour, and district of Wanga Niii Atero, commonly '■ailed Port Jackson, situated on tho north-eastern side of Cook's Straits ! f Niv.v Zealand/' For this valeable property the price paid was: "100 red blankets, J(10 muskets, 2 tierce-; of tobacco, 38 iron pots, 3 cases of soap, lo fowling pieces, 21 kegs gunpowder, 1 cask ball cartlidire, 1 keg lead slab?. 100 cartouche boxes. 100 tomahawks, -10 pipe torn- j fihawks, 1 case pipes, 2 "dozen spades. I (:•') steel axes, 1200 fish hooks, 12 | bullet, moulds, 12 dozen shirts. 20 jacket.-, 20 pairs trousers, 00 red riirht caps. 300 yards cotton duck, 200 yards calico. 100 yards check, dozen slates and 200 pencils, 1.0 en looking-glasses. 10 dozen pucker i knives, .10 -dozen pairs of iseissr,rs. I 1 dozen pairs of shoos, 1 dozen urn- j brelias, 1. dozen hats, 2lhs. beads, 100 yards ribbon, .10 dozen drcssmger.nks. (5 dozen novels, l.gross Jew's harps, 1 dozen razors, 2 suits superfine cloths. 1 dozen shaving boxes mvl brushes. 20 muskets. 2 dozen boxes and 1 dozen sticks of sealing wax.' - These details. wh : ch were copied from the original deed nf purchase, throw an interesting light on land purchasing methods m the early da vs.