Page:Tales-of-Banks-Peninsula Jacobson 2ed 1893 cropped.pdf/300

He then stayed at home for some years, afterwards shipping in the cutter Levien (Capt. Arnett) for Port Levy on the Banks Peninsula, where lived a wealthy old bachelor named Greenwood, who gave him a freight of wool, cheese and butter, with thirty-two sheep on deck, for Wellington. This small vessel, much overloaded, left Port Levy on Saturday afternoon, and the next (Sunday) afternoon dropped anchor in Wellington, opposite the Custom House—a feat that was, in those days, considered wonderful. A week later they left Wellington for Pigeon Bay, having on board a complete fit-out for a schooner then building there; thence to Akaroa, where they took on board Mr. Watson, the magistrate there, and brought him to Otago; thence she went to Ruapuke and on to Stewart Island, where Mr. Haberfield left her, coming back to Otago in a schooner called The Sisters, belonging to the Akaroa Maoris. About this time the survey of the Otago Block was going on, and some six months afterwards, the survey being then finished, Capt. Arnett brought the Levien into Otago harbour under contract to take the men (chainmen, bushmen, &c.) engaged on the survey party to Wellington. Capt. Arnett, who was no scholar, was very anxious to get Mr. Haberfield to ship with him this trip, as the latter on previous occasions had done all the ship’s business for him. Haberfield, however, obstinately refused to go, not being pleased either with the vessel, which was crank, or the captain, who was reckless, and, besides, a bad paymaster. Haberfield then went to Moeraki in his boat, and Arnett, who left soon after him, dropped anchor in Moeraki Bay, and made another attempt to get Haberfield on board The latter was not to be persuaded, and the cutter had to leave without him. She was never heard of again; but a vessel which came into Akaroa reported haying seen a cutter answering to her des-