UNKNOWN.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2429, 19 October 1886, Page 2

UNKNOWN.

In reference to the legend of Big Bay, which was reproduced in our columna somo timo ago, tho N.Z. Horald says : It is n pity, perhaps, that wo should haveto knock all this story away; but it ia well that the whole truth should ,be known respecting tho cruise of tho Bchooner Royal Mail. Mr Jamcs'iJSfete, of Auckland, gives us tho following information: My father, tho lato Captain Dacre, was in New Zealand in 1830, and he obtained from a native in some part of the North a greenstone mero. Some time in 1842, Captain Dacro was in Manila, when some of the natives got sight of his greenstone more. They were charmod, and eagerly enquired where the matorial could bo procured. Thcy'said they would gladly givo £SOO per ton for all he coujd bring. Captain Dacro sold his morofor\ a very largo price, and thought ho saw his ' way clear to make a splendid'speculation. He had always heard from the Maoris in the north that the greenstone came from the West coast of tho South Island, which waß called by them " To Wai Pounamou" (the Greenstone sea). When Captain Dacro got to Sydney he fittMout the Royal Mail schooner with blasting and quarrying appliances, and despatched her to Milford Sound and Big Bay ,\o load up with tho much prized' greoustone. Tho vessel was commanded by Qaptaiti Auglin. She went to Milford Sound, and to othor parts of the Weßt Coast, but I never heard whother they had any Maoriifowith them as guides. They remained diijlhe coast for six months. Then they went to Nelson for supplies, as stated in the narrative published by you, It is true, too, that t all the mon wore bound to socresy, and no one in Nolson knew what they were after. Put thoyhad no gold on board, much less £IOO,OOO worth, and < all the timo they wpro on tho West Coast they only got two tons of greenstone. It was so hard that thoy found enormous difficulty in quarrying it/ After obtaining supplies at Nejsbn the schooner returned to Big Bay, but here various calamities ovortoqk the party. Captain Anglin lost thp/siglifc of both his oyes by the effects of an explosion of gunpowder whilo blasting, and several others woro injured., wliile blasting, and sovoral others woro injured by difforont accidents. The schooner then returned to Sydney. Tho two tons of greenstone was sent to Manila by my father, (flO-luck was still attendant on tho venture. Things had become unsettled then, and the greenstone hardly realised anything, It was taken to Manila by a man named Elgin,, who entered into business thero in company with my fathor, but *■ , •hoavy loss resulted to allconcorned. It is to be hoped that the • knowlcdgo respecting tho gold at Big Bay rests on something better than tho Btory : about the schooner Royal Mail having . secured LIOO.OOO worth in-a short time, ■• because the aboyo are undoubtedly the ' facts as rcßpecta her voyage. She brought away from that coast, after several months' work, two tons of greenstone and sevoral disabled men.