Page:Tales-of-Banks-Peninsula Jacobson 2ed 1893 cropped.pdf/228

flour-mill on the site of the Chinamen’s house. Mr. Breitmeyer was the only original settler who had a family, but most of the others in time married and settled down. Almost as soon as cattle were introduced from Sydney, dairying commenced; on a very small scale at first, each calf being of great value, and beef an enormous price. As the land, however, was cleared and sowed down, it became the settlers’ chief employment, and, with the production of grass seed, has remained so to the present day.

German Bay was very beautiful when covered in bush, and, unlike many other Bays, has kept its beauty. This is chiefly owing to the early settlers taking care to plant out English trees as the bush was burnt. The willows, which are an important part of the landscape, were grown from slips brought by the emigrants from St. Helena, where they were taken from the tree over Napoleon’s grave.

This Bay received its name from the man who first bought land there. Mr. Robinson was sent down to Akaroa to Act as a Magistrate by the New Zealand Company, being accompanied by a constable to enforce his authority. This was in 1840. Mr Robinson bought 100 acres, and the land is that where Mr. Saxton now resides. He never lived in the Bay for any length of time.

The Bay is a large one, and covered with heavy timber as it was then, it was soon seen that a mill would pay there. The early history of Robinson’s