1980 - Sewell, Henry. The Journal of Henry Sewell, 1853-7. Volume I - RAPAKI PA, p 435-440

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RAPAKI PA

Wednesday, 18 January [1854]. The Ravens with us--we made a holiday and went to Rapaki. The day fine with a fresh North Easterly breeze. Started in a boat about 12 o'clock carrying with us some buns, ginger beer and wine by way of picnic. Intended to get on board the Northfleet, but found as we got out into the Harbour too much sea running. We could only make the Ship at the expense of a wetting so we turned our head and went down the Harbour to Rapaki. It lies about half way between Lyttelton and the Head of the Bay, in a narrow valley or gorge formed by spurs of the hills which come to the water's edge. About 3 miles sailing brought us there and we landed in a small bight or bay in front of the Native Pah. The site

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is pretty much like Lyttelton itself--high mountains or hills behind it, and a space of perhaps 2 or 300 Acres of available land lying in a hollow with two or three gorges running deep in towards the Mountain. 1 There is some wood--has been more, but is fast disappearing. It makes its appearance at Lyttelton in the shape of firewood at 30s or 40s a Cord. Patches of cultivation, wheat oats, and potatoes run up the hill side. A few wretched looking hovels much inferior to a good British pig stye are 'the village'. One of these serves for what is called 'the Church', where Mr Calvert tells us the Church of England Service is performed daily by some Native officiating Minister--how authorized I know not. 2 At all events it is well that it should be done somehow. The Natives here have caught some faint imitations of civilised life, and many of them wear European clothing. A few can jabber some words of English but scarcely so as to be understood. They are civil and harmless, I cannot find anybody who can give an account of them. In truth they are left to themselves, to get civilised if they can and how they can by contagion. Nothing is being done for them till the Colonists themselves have the full and entire management of matters. Nobody is responsible at present. Sir George Grey and the Bishop used to come now and then, and look at them, and talk about Schools and so forth, and then go away, 3 and Sir George would write a flashy dispatch about himself and his own virtues, making the English world believe that it was all owing to him that the Natives were not dining and supping off the Settlers, all which is detestable humbug. The meeting at Wellington the other day of Native Chiefs and Provincial Council is a significant proof of the true and right policy.

But our visit to Rapaki was one of idleness and holiday making, not for a study of the Natives; so we sat down on the grass in the wood, that is Mrs Raven and Elizabeth did, whilst Mr Raven and I climbed up the hill even to the tip top and looked over into the plains. The tops of the hills are agreeable, grassy downs with crags here and there. The hill somewhat less in height than the Bridle Path. Christchurch lay about 6 miles to the North. Home to a generous tea after a day of agreeable idleness.

I should note that on the morning of Wednesday comes Mr

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Coxe, 4 an arrival by the North fleet with an introduction (from Mr Kelk, 5 late of Boxton, now of Redhill). He seems a smart intelligent young man with right notions about colonising. He is going to serve apprenticeship at a sheep station before he settles to anything, which is wise. He tells us that Canterbury is in very bad odour in England, whereat one cannot be surprised; consequently he seems well satisfied with things as he finds them.

For the last few days have been busy in preparing a Church Trust Deed, which I hope will satisfy people. Its scheme is this.

1. To incorporate a Body consisting of the Bishop, all the licensed Clergy and a number of laymen.

2. To give them power to accept our Endowments, and to us to transfer them.

3. The objects to be the same as in our Charter 'Ecclesiastical and Educational purposes in connexion with the Church of England.'

4. This body to conform in all things to whatever Canons of Ecclesiastical laws may be made by competent Church jurisdictions.

5. To regulate their proceedings &c. by bye-laws.

6. The lay portion of the body to be filled up annually. The Settlement to be divided into Districts quasi parishes. In each District an annual Meeting to be held. The Communicants in each district to appoint one Trustee--the Incumbent another--like Church Wardens in England.

7. The Bishop to have a veto on all proceedings.

8. The Trustees to appoint a Committee of Management, like the Association.

I propose to create this body first--and to transfer the Endowments to it afterwards, by a separate and subsequent Act. This is more convenient and leaves things open to negotiation and arrangement which otherwise would burthen and doubtless bother the Provincial Council.

Besides this, I have been at work upon the Accounts. I find the total outlay exceeds by 2 or £3000 what I reckoned upon. I do not know that this is a very material circumstance though doubtless every addition to the charge makes a difficulty about the Colony accepting our liabilities in a sweeping way. At present I have no doubt whatever of the rectitude of purpose and right feeling of the Colony--but how we may be affected by the Governor's violent

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attack on our property, and by the suspension of the General Assembly involving a total absence of all power of dealing with the Land fund it is impossible to say. There is some counterbalancing good however in the almost daily growth in value of our property.

FitzGerald brings me some of the Bills which he means to bring before the Council. He draws them himself. They are clever, but full of (dreadful) holes, through which Coaches and four might be driven with ease; (as might be expected.) He is too ambitious and self confident. He wants to embody the whole law of trespass in one compendious Ordinance. An excellent idea. Sir Robert Peel did the same thing in various departments of law, and got a great name thereby--but then there is a difference, and Sir Robert did not do the handiwork himself. (FitzGerald has to learn his weakness.) In truth the law making in these Provincial Councils ought to be confined to objects of the most obvious necessity. If they affect any thing beyond this they will make themselves ridiculous by blunders. (Since I declined the Provincial Solicitorship (of which I think FitzGerald was heartily glad) he has said little or nothing to me about the affairs. He is now employing Mr Pollard to do his law work by the job. He speaks well of him, but then he is a terrible sot. 6 I think FitzGerald was wrong not to accept my offer to do the work for him without office or pay, but my own opinion is, he was glad to be rid of me. To me the relief is prodigious. We are on good terms enough and he shews me now and then what he proposes to do; and I give him such suggestions as occur to me off handedly--but he pays little attention to what I say. The law power of the Settlement is at the lowest possible ebb.)

Friday comes Mr Watson the Resident Magistrate of Akaroa. He has been served with a Mandamus to restore Col. Campbell's name to the Electoral roll. Dampier acts for the Colonel, and posted off with the same Writ to Akaroa in a kind of triumph to serve it on Watson. 'There', says he, throwing it down before him--'it is come at last.' Poor Watson was in dismay thus to have brought the Supreme Court down on him. Dampier looked on as if he had been and done something, and as if nothing now remained but to replace the Colonel's name and flog the Resident Magistrate. However, Watson on reading the Writ perceived its true nature, and that it was only a kind of order nisi--that is--he had merely to show cause to the contrary, which was easy enough. From Watson's account it is clear that Dampier did not know the effect of the Writ himself, and believed it was a peremptory mandate. Then Watson came over here

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to one Mr Porter 7 who does his law work, (but Mr Porter knew as little about it as Dampier). He Watson came to me, and I told him I should be very glad to talk the matter over with Porter. So on Friday came Mr Porter and Mr Watson together and we patched up a return to the Writ, setting forth the facts which I cannot but believe (even with such a Supreme Court) must extinguish the Colonel.

Watson tells me that Brittan has allowed that (vagabond) Hempelman to choose 250 Acres of Land any where in the Peninsula, and the man has picked out all the available unsold land in the Town of Akaroa. Akaroa thereupon is up in arms against the new Crown Commissioner, who is as bad they say as the old one. Oh General Assembly! General Assembly! When will there be an end of these things?

Akaroa, [Sunday,] 29 January 1854. After long meditation we have accomplished our visit to Akaroa, and are now established at Bruce's Hotel. I must write up Journal for the last week.

The beginning of last week was spent in getting up the Association's Accounts for the Provincial Government. I finished them up to December 1852, and transmitted them officially to the Superintendent, i.e. a summary, which I told him might be compared with the accounts themselves by any one he pleased. 8Talking them over with him I see no reason to be dissatisfied with his views. He says the Debts ought not to be charged on the General revenue but on the Land fund. This is reasonable; the distinction is not important as the Land fund will be amply sufficient as Security so soon as the General Assembly has met and given powers to the Provinces; but this involves delay--indeed unless Sir George Grey should be removed, the indefinite postponement of every thing. I forsee so long as he remains nothing but difficulty and obstruction. But that curse cannot afflict the Colony long--so at least we hope.

On Wednesday [25 January] there was a kind of public meeting at Lyttelton to try public opinion, as to Sir George's Land Proclamation. It was a meeting of the Colonists' Society--a sort of omnium gatherum Club, including almost every body, and of kinds of politics and parties, so that it may be taken as a fair index of opinion. One Mr Allport 9 a (Storekeeper and Auctioneer, a) bustling active man well to do in the world is a Cheap land man. He convoked the Meeting for the avowed object of memorializing the

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Government to introduce Sir George Grey's regulations. The Meeting took place at the Reading Room on Wednesday Evening. The room was full; FitzGerald was there and spoke remarkably well. Mr Allport was beaten hollow. An amendment was carried praying that the General Assembly might be convoked without delay, and that the Waste lands might be handed over to the Province. 10 This is decisive as to the condemnation by this Settlement of Sir George Grey's policy. Lyttelton is the only place where Sir George has any supporters at all, and few they are even there--the opinion of Lyttelton therefore may be taken as decisive but what matters this? Every body seems to consider the General Assembly as a myth. Such was the language of Sir George's friends at the Meeting; indeed their argument was founded on this. They said 'There is no General Assembly; all we can do therefore to attain our object is to petition the Governor to introduce his Regulations. We don't know whether they are legal or not. All we know is that he has put them in force elsewhere, and we pray that we may be dealt with in the same way.' How exasperating this! In truth people have come to look upon Constitutions and Acts of Parliament as mere waste paper. One cannot wonder at it. I myself begin to be infected with the same feeling; only that in me it produces an intense longing such as I can scarcely express to be out of the place, and at home in England again. This state of existence is perfectly unendurable. If, as I anticipate, Sir George's policy is upheld by the Colonial Office, I shall so soon as I have patched up some kind of Settlement of Accounts with the Provincial Council pack up my things and be off. I could do no good by remaining.

I have drafted a Bill for establishing a Church Trust and have sent it to Mr Jacobs. 11 It is based on the plan I have mentioned. No doubt people will cavil at it; but I have become indifferent about opinions so long as I see my own way clear to what is right. For instance people quarrel with me for paying off the debt on the Lyttelton Church by sale of Church Lands which I mean to do when I can get an advantageous offer. The clamour about an impoverished Church is dying away. (Nobody but Matthias and a few of his faction keep up this growling.) But I am troubled as to what to do at the present moment about the Clergy. I had reckoned on the pasturage fund for this current year but thanks to Sir George Grey I lose this, and we must fall back on Godley's remittance from England. When the Church Trust is established they must arrange for themselves.