Page:Tales-of-Banks-Peninsula Jacobson 2ed 1893 cropped.pdf/145

Maori settlements; Little River and Taumutu were the principal pas, but a good many were living in Pigeon Bay and Port Levy. The Akaroa Natives were at Tikao Bay and Onuku, and were very friendly with the Europeans. Tuhau was the leading chief, and one of his two wives is still living. Tikao was chief of the Tikao Bay Maoris; but a younger brother, also bearing the same name, is now in command. It will thus be seen that year by year, though by slow degrees, the settlement of the Peninsula was proceeding, and population spreading from the town itself to the adjacent hills. The french and Germans got Crown grants of the land they had been originally given, on their taking out letters of naturalisation, and thus a great many new subjects were gained to Her Majesty.

Bishop Selwyn used to come round periodically and visit the settlers and the Maoris. The first Presbyterian service was held by the Rev. C. Fraser in Mrs. Brown’s house, near where Mrs. Rhodes now lives, but it was long afterwards before they had the first resident minister, who was the Rev. Mr. Grant, who afterwards went to Christchurch, and, as many of our readers will remember, was subsequently lost in the Matoaka.

Probably the oldest living white resident on the Peninsula now lives at our Akaroa Hospital. He has been a fine-looking man. The features are marked, determined, and regular, and his high, broad forehead shows that his brains were of no mean order. There is a deep scar on the right brow, on which hangs a tale, of which more here-