DEATH OF MAJOR HAY.

Waikato Times, Volume XVII, Issue 1414, 26 July 1881, Page 2

DEATH OF MAJOR HAY.

Death has removed an old familiar face from, the ranks of the early Waikato settlcrs'-in the f person- of ,Major v Drum-mond-Huy, wlio died at his residence, Cambridge, yesterday afternoon. Born in the year 1827, the Major came from a.n old noble Scottish iamily, being a lineal descendant of' 'Thomas Sth Earl of KinnouL His father, Edward DrummondHay, , served in the Peninsular War, in France and the Low Countries under the Duke of Wellington, Lonl Lynedoch, and iv the 61st and 73id regiments and on the staff, and was subsequently ConsulGeneral for Morocco. His three brothers, Sir Edward, Sir John, and Colonel Thomas Dmnimond-Hay have also served the Crown m various capacities. Major Hay himself joined the Royal Artillery, and was for some time stationed at Gibraltar. ' He came to New Zealand about, or shortly after the year 1850, soon afterwards entered the service of the Colonial Government, and was engaged suceesshely as surveyor and land parchaseagent. When Professor Hochstetter visited the colony in 1859, Major Hay was deputed by the Government to take charge of the scientific expedition, and acted in the capacity of guide, philosopher and friend to the learned professor during Jiis journeyings along the Coast. On the breaking out of the war he joined the colonial forces, attached to the staff on account of his intimate knowledge of the country and the natives, with the rank of major. He went through the Waikato war, and was with Colonel MacDonnell on the East Coast;. After the close of hostilities Major Hay resided for a time at Coroniandel, but afterwards removed to Waikcito'and engaged in fanning pursuits at Maungakawa, at the same time carrying on the business of a private land purchase agent. He was instrumental in acquiring from the native owners nearly all the largp estates in the Auckland province, his familiarity with the Maori language, customs and lore, — for he was a finished Maori linguist — standing him in good stead. He was one of the promoters of the Patetere company, and in the negotiations with the natives was an invaluable aid to the project. During his long residence in this district Major Hay made hosts of friends, to whom he was endeared by his geniality and bonhomie, which never seemed to fail him. He, too, possessed au inexhaustible store of information concerning the earlier days of hardship and danger through which he and his fellow pioneers had passed, and he was never tired of imparting, chiefly in the light anecdotal style which had got so familar to all who knew him, the knowledge he had become possessed of. Learned in many other things besides Maori folk-lore, for he was a finished scholar, the Major had an affection for flowers and the work of the garden which amounted almost to a passion. Many who were accustomed to pause in passing his residence to peep in at the ricli spectacle presented by his trimly kept and odorous flower garden, will miss the kindly intelligence that watched and tended it with such care. To his friends it has been only too evident for a long time past that Major Hay was breaking up. His constitution, naturally a strong one, was undermined by the effects of a somewhat free life, and one which had been passed for the most part in unsettled times, and for many years the system had shown signs of failing. For the past few weeks he had been confined to his bed, but none expected that his end was so near. He passed away, as we have said, yesterday afternoon, in the 53rd year of his age, taking with him a page, sorrowful enough, yet withal brimful of interest, of the colony's history.