Page:Tales-of-Banks-Peninsula Jacobson 2ed 1893 cropped.pdf/260

The lower pert of this beautiful Bay was the property of the Messrs. Masefield Bros. when the first edition of “Stories of Banks Peninsula” was published, but it now belongs to Mr. V. V. Masefield, Mr. Wm. Masefield having gone to the Sounds.

The Native name of the Bay is Okururu, and the Messrs. Masefield quite agreed with the writer that it is a great pity the Maori appellation was ever altered. It appears that the present designation was given to it from a man named Gough, who lived there for many years among the Natives. These north-east Bays were amongst the last settled on the Peninsula, owing to the difficulty of access, and of getting away stock or shipping produce. This was so particularly the case with Okoruru, that during the great Kai-huanga or eat relation feud, many Maoris fled there in hopes of escaping the visits of their enemies by seeking a locality, the paths to which were almost inaccessible, and known to but few. Enterprising Europeans, however, soon ascertained the exceeding richness of the soil, and a French settler, named M. Guin, purchased a section on the flat, and sent M. Peter Malmanche there to occupy it, and took some cattle over. The difficulty of landing, however, on the Gough’s Bay beach was proved in this case, for the boat conveying M. Malmanche and his things was capsized in the surf, and although all hands landed safely, a large box, containing his wife’s clothes and some other things, went to sea. M. Malmanche was in despair, but next morning, on visiting the shore, he was delighted to see the box high and dry on the sand. His spirits immediately revived, and he ran towards it; but what was his horror to find it was merely a