Page:Tales-of-Banks-Peninsula Jacobson 2ed 1893 cropped.pdf/245

in the valley was nearly all totara and black pine, white pine growing on the flats close to the seashore. Like the rest of the Peninsula, the Head of the Bay was covered in dense bush, which ran down to the water’s edge. Even in those times, when pigs were plentiful all over the country, the Head of the Bay was famous as literally swarming with them. Many and exciting are the tales told of pig hunts in this locality, in the old days, by the early settlers.

The Pawsons arrived in the Bay in 1850, and cut the timber for the public house about to be built. Mr Pawson, sen., came out to Port Nicholson in 1840, at the same time as Mr. Jas. Wright, of Wainui, in the Coromandel, after a very stormy passage of nine months, six weeks of which were spent in the cove of Cork repairing the damage caused by a terrific gale the vessel experienced shortly after commencing the voyage. The family remained in the Wellington Province for nine years, and then left for Lyttelton in the Queen. From Lyttelton they came to Little Akaloa in a ketch commanded by Captain Bruce, of Bruce Hotel notoriety. The boat belonged to the Maoris, and was probably the same that Hemplemman bought the Peninsula from Bloody Jack for. The Pawsons did not live in the Head of the Bay until 1857. They came over occasionally for a time to cut timber. They saw the fine timber the bay possessed in these visits, and bought a mill from Mr Bryant in Barry’s Bay. The three brothers, Messrs. Jonas, John, and William Pawson, worked it together for a number of years, erecting it a good way up the valley—close to the house in which the latter now lives. Mr. John finally bought his two brothers out, and worked it himself for a time, afterwards building the big mill at the bottom of the Bay. Messrs. Saxton and Williams afterwards bought the mill, and worked it very profitably. Mr. Shadbolt, who arrived about