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Lt. Col. Robert Story - Diary notes 1893
Notes from Robert;s diary by MN D-W. Off to New Zealand
January 1893
In the front of this diary there are notes of addresses in Australia and N.Z. and of the land purchase policy in N.Z. On the next page there is a quotation from Longfellow's Ladder of St. Augustine
Standing on what too long we bore
With shoulders bent and downcast eyes,
We may discern unseen before
A path to higher destinies,
Nor deem the irrevocable past
As wholly wasted, wholly vain,
If rising on its wrecks at last,
To something nobler we attain.
Also copied in later the inscription in English & Maori on the tombstone of a child of 2 scalded to death in ahot spring at Ohuiemutu in 1877.
"The New Year finds me on board the Ship Hesperus in Melbourne Harbour awaiting news from Oswald or Olave to whom I have written without receiving a reply. My engagement with Helen Backwith having been broken off in a most heartless manner last March through the machinations of the Bush family, I have come here for a change of scene. I am fairly well in health, and stood the voyage very well. Vida is at Mrs. Pye's still, growing fast and getting on very well."
On January 1st he saw the new P & O steamer Australia come in, on the 4th he moved out of the Hesperus to the London Hotel in Melbourne.
Jan 6th. "Took the train to Fern Tree Gully. Breakfast in the hotel and went out shooting in heavy rain over the ranges at 9.30am. Shot one native bear (koala?) and 1 rabbit in a tramp of about 24 miles. Saw Sir Mathew Davis's place. Got back to hotyel about 7pm, lamdlord lent me some dry clothes. Dined and slept there/"
Jan 10th. "Got my things on board S.S Adelaide, sailed about 1.30pm. Slight beam sea after passing the heads, made the ship roll a good deal. Most of the passengers seasick. 60 or 70 in the saloon and about 150 steerage."
He arrived at Sydney next day and soon found lodgings at Darling Point where he explored the area and met several people. He heard from Os on the 16th, he was to go to Wellington & arranged a passage there on a ship called the Ringdove. He filled in the intervening days exploring Sydney and its surroundings, visiting and going to the dentist. Then on Jan 31st Os telegraphed to say come as soon as possible to Bluff, so he had to cancel his passage on the Ringdove & arrange to go by train to Melbourne and on to N.Z. by steamer.
February - April 1893
On Feb 2nd Robert had a hot and dusty train journey back to Melbourne. "Curious dwarf with hunchback, no arms & one sound and 1 deformed leg in the compartment next to mine." The Hesperus was still there so he went aboard and showed his photos, some had been stolen, but many people wanted prints of what he had. He sailed on the S.S Talune and saw the coast of Tasmania the next day.
Feb 6th Monday. "Got into Hobart about 6am and came alongside the Argyle St. Wharf. Took a short walk on shore before breakfast. Walked through the town after breakfast towards the Cascades when I was overtaken by Dr. Ensor & party who took me for a drive - saw the brewery, Domain, Botanical Gardens, Race Course etc. Came on board about noon, sailed at 1pm. A number of professional musicians and actors joined the ship en route for New Zealand. They sang some songs at intervals. Smooth sea and fine coast in sight with Basaltic rocks here and there."
Crossing the Tasman took 3 days during which he was shown round the engine room, records Vida's 12th birthday and notes that two ladies stunned themselves falling down the companionway! He landed at Bluff on the evening of the 9th and went to the Club Hotel. "Had a long chat with two queer old men in the social hall over our evening pipes."
10th Friday. "Went to the station morn. about my luggage & found it had gone to Invercargill. The railway people wired for it & it was sent back without any notification amongst the luggage for the Wairapa which sailed for Melbourne during the afternoon - 4 parcels were rescued but my chest of drawers went off in the Wairape. Strong gale, walked along the shore past the freezing works. Wrote to Os."
11th. "Went for a walk along the coast along a wooden tramway used for getting firewood out of the bush. Found a trolleyman's horse down in a very awkward ditch near the pilot station. He got him out after some trouble. Went by 1.20pm train to Invercargill & saw the town (poor place) back by 5pm train. Walked up to the signal station. Heavy gale."
14th. "Packed up and got my things together. Went after lunch to the signal station to look out for the Katoomba (Os' ship). Sighted her about 25 miles off at 5pm, she came in about 7.30pm and anchored. I went on board at once and got 6 letters from Vida and 1 from Wazir. Posted a letter to Vida before going aboard. (He never mentions Os!)
15th Aboard HMS Katoomba. "Sailed from Bluff about 7.30am against a strong headwind and a moderate sea, heavy rain at intervals. Very bold coast but no ships in sight. Entered Preservation Inlet about 5pm and came to anchor in Revolver Bay 6pm. Did a little fishing before dinner but caught nothing."
16th. "Gilespie and the Dr. went ashore to fish about 8am. We sailed at 9am & steamed up through grand hills to the head of the inlet where we ran aground for a short time but got off without much trouble. Fired Morris tube ammunition at the rocks on shore from 2 of the funs (took 2 photos). Saw a couple of black swans. Very wet day and strong squalls. Anchored again in Revolver Bay about 2pm when it blew almost a hurricane, 2nd anchor let go at 4pm. Soon after we up anchor & steamed away to fresh anchorage near the mouth of the sound leaving the fishing party ashore. I caught 1 snapper from the ship."
The next day he caught 46½lbs of fish, and his companion (Youel) caught a 44lb rock cod. The weather was very stormy with torrents of rain, but Robert managed to go shooting &/or fishing most days, and to admire the fine scenery including Sutherland Falls and Stuart Island. He heard from the lady who had taken his house in Winchester that his dog Jack was drowned. On the 25th he finally got his chest of drawers back from its trip to Melbourne! On 26th he and Os went to Dunedin be train & met Olave & her baby son (Nevile?). They saw quite a lot of her now and went to many dinners, picnics & shopping trips.
The Katoomba was doing manouvres and gun and torpedo training all this time, Robert records that one torpedo stuck in the mud and had to be dived for. On March 20th the ship's company put on an entertainment to raise money for one of their number Sandiford by name who had had his hand cut off by the propeller of a torpedo.
While the ship was in Lyttelton Harbour Robert went down the side of the ship in a diving dress. "& got a very bad headache from it." The Ringdove was also in port. They went o Christchurch and to Sunday service in the cathedral there.
On the 28th he went to Akaroa for a few days ashore and while there visited Sandiford "looking wonderfully well considering his accident." On rejoining the Katoomba he went to Riccarton Races, two dances, played tennis and walked up every hill in sight. He sailed on her to Welling ton on April 23rd.
May 1893
May 1st. "Waited at acnhor for the Union Coy steamer to arrive with mail from Sydney - she came in about 11am but did not bring out mail. Started about noon at speed of 14 knots. Ran through a thick fog bank just outsoide the heads. Begain full speed trials of 4 hours at 3pm. Very unpleasant motion, steaming 17 knots, slowed down to 14 knots at 7pm.
2nd. "Showery day and unpleasant sea all morning. Altered course about 1pm from N to W rounding the East Cape. Slowed down to 10 knots. Heavy seas got up with a gale of wind, about 10pm the ship was rolling very heavily - I went on deck for a short time & then turned in. Verey hot stuff night & the worst sea I ever remember to have been in, in some respects - my cabin full of water & my bed etc. adrift, no sleep till after 5am - scarcely anyone aboard got any sleep. Whaler carried away and lost about 4am - all sorts of gear loose about the ship. Os says she behaved very well considering (Typical sailor!)
3rd. " Heavy gale still blowing and blowing and the barometer very low with thick weather, heavy rain and bad sea. We had to slow down in the night because the steering was supposed to be jammed - it turned out to be caused by someone having put a bucket under the wheel in the conning tower. Arrived at Auckland. " Here he went about with his usual energy - walked to Mount Eden, crossed to Devonport and walked to L. Takapuna and saw over an ostrich farm.
He took tickets for a trip to Rotorua starting on the 15th and staying the night at Okoroire en route.
16th. "Bathed in 3 of the hot springs before breakfast. Started in our buggy at 10am & drove here (Whakarewarewa) over a very bad road. Distance about 31¾ miles. Changed harness once. Saw one very old Maori named Patia (?) who had been a cannibal. On my was through Rotorua I handed to Dr. Guiders my letters of introduction from Professor Smith. Murray & I walked over the river to the Maori village where we found the guide Sophia who showed us round the Geysers - Pohutu, the Torpedo, Blue Pool, Brain Pot, Pigeon Geyser etc. Had a hot bath after dinner. Began a letter to Evie on the subject of settling here."
Robert stayed at Whakarewarewa for over a week, exploring on foot and horseback, shooting, and bathing in hot springs. On the 27th he moved to Wairaki. "Started in a special buggey at 8.15am. & drove here over 50 miles through most desolate country. Lunch at Ateamuri (very bad & dear). Very few Maori settlements even visible from the road. Passed the legendary rock of Hinemoa and her head, a natural fortress called Kohutu Roa & a curious hollow stone. Got in at 5.45pm.
June 1893
In June Robert went on to Taupo and Napier, and then went to stay with some people called Russell some 20 miles from Napier. He stayed there for over a fortnight but things were evidently a bit quiet here, he got down to making beehive out of out of packing cases and watching the farmer muster his sheep. On the 10th they had heavy snow, almost unknown there. He stayed near Hastings a few days the back to Tuna Nui (Russell's) for some shooting and more spectator farming. When it was wet he read, did small repairs around the house and rearranged the books in their sitting room! One whol day went on making a new handle for a large saw, and he replaced various panes of glass in the house and outbuildings.
14th. "Russell drove me to the mail post, where I took the coach for Napier. Lunch at Puketapu. Got my cornet mended, some socks and cartridges. Met Mr. and Mrs. Birch for dinner, they told me the Katoomba had gone to Samoa/ Slight earthquake shock after dinner. " The Birchs asked him to stay with them at Erewhon but he spend several days at Kuripapanga waiting for them to come and fetch him.
26th. "Erewhon - Whangaipotiki (Feed the baby or The feeding of the first born). Started about 9am with Mr. and Mrs. Birch on horseback - their man George driving my pack-horse and theirs before him. Very high wind crossing the first range - on the first flat my horse kicked off my cornet and smashed the case, left it at a roadman's whare. very grand scenery crossing the ranges - at the Tauruarau river my pack horse tried to make home but we headed him. Lunch at the top of the range. Very heavy rain came on as we crossed the Ohaka flats (very dreary). Forded the Rangitikei at Mr. Birch's scouring station - got into the Woolshed station about 5pm wet through; distance not much over 30 miles. My horse a very bad one & the roads none of the best. Heavy rain at night 12" in 24 hours."
27th. Oruamatua. "Started for the homestead 10.30am about 5 miles having sent our things in a dray. The ground was very wet and slippery & my horse being unshod was not pleasant to ride & I had to dismount once or twice. After lunch Mr. Birch took me round some of his Merino rams, Lincolns, stud rams etc."
28th. "Started with Mr. Birch after breakfast, saw some ensilage being cut from a stack, various sheep paddocks & very fine views of Ruapehu. Lunch at Whangaipotiki. Saw some 2 furrow ploughs at work and some disc harrows to get out the ½ eaten turnips. Home around 5pm."
29th. "Started after breakfast with Mr. Birch to walk to Moahanga but got caught in heavy rain at the hut of Chase, a half-caste whom Mr. Birch had gone to see on business. We took shelter in the kitchen hut where Chase's Maori wife and another Maori woman were cooking. Got wet through on our way home & stayed in the rest of the day. Finished 'Erewhon' ."(Presumably a book?).
30th. "There was a heavy gail and rain last night, but bright fine morn. Two men came for the day. Evening service was read by Mr. Birch in the drawing room after tea - some of the station hands attended."
July 1893
Robert was still at the Birch's place Erewhon. He went out pig hunting with a Maori boy several times, their best bag was 12 in a day. He saw a real carved Maori house, and had to cross a ravine on a rope bridge.
August 1893
In August he moved on to Ruanui for more pig & cattle hunting with a man called Blyth. He collected the tusks from the biggest boars. (We have some of them, mounted or made into small picture frames)
September & October 1893
Sept. 3rd. "Stayed at home and tidied the sitting room, Blyth's room, cupboards etc. all of which were in a fearful mess." (I'm sure he was popular!). Wrote to Vida and ordered drawers and socks from Batley."
He stayed until the 27th hunting pig and cattle almost daily, then after a week in Napier he took a steamer to Wellington, then on to Lyttelton and Christchurch. He finally settled at Akaroa until October 23rd when he went to stay with friends (Knight) at Tekoa Bay (actually Tikoa I think). Here he played a lot of tennis & gathered quantities of oysters. He enjoyed tje company of this family, and especially I think, of Miss H. Knight. After he had left them he went back to give them a day out.
November 1893
November 7th Akaroa. "Started in Poole's boat about 9am & sailed over to Tekoa Bay where I picked up Mrs & 2 Miss Knights and Frank Knight - sailed to a pretty cove by a fissue in the rock where we lunched, rolled down stones & generally amused ourselves - sailed round to the big guano caves & so home., landed the Knights about 6pm - I got to Akaroa about 7.30pm. Fine & very enjoyable day."
On the 14th Robert was in Lyttelton & collected 8 letters & some photos from Vida, & a letter from Arthur. He stayed on at Akaroa and visited the Knights at Tekoa Bay several times.
December 1893
Dec 18th Akaroa. "Regatta day and the town en fete. The Governor came and stayed on board the Hinemoa. I went up to the Robinsons & joined the Knights party going on board the Curacao with them. Concert at Odd fellows (sic) hall even. followed by a small dance, bed at 12.30am."
Next day he informed the police that his pipes had been stolen while he was at the dance. He made friends with a family called Clarke who were musical, he spent a musical evening with them, "NB Mrs Clarke plays very well." and they got him to sing in the church choir.
22nd. "Started at 9am in the launch with Anson, landed at Wainui. Anson found only one horse there so I walked on. He overtook me at the top of the range whence we walked together to Piraki. After lunch we saw the woolshed etc.. the beach & remains of the old whaling station. Anson showed me the log of the Barque 'Bee' Captain Hempleman when on a whaling trip to Piraki from Sydney in 1833 or so - very curious document."
Dec 23rd. Akaroa. "Breakfast at 7.30am and started 8.30am along the old track over the range - I rode Mrs. Anson's bay horse which was very fresh. Going up the narrow track he bolted with me (I having touched him accidentally with my spurs) on some dangerous rocky ground. I threw myself off & only damaged one finger. Got in about 12.30pm. Went to Dr. Atterbury who prescribed (he had been feeling 'seedy' for some time). Musical evening at the Clarkes."
25th. "Morning service at Smith's church - sang in the choir. Tooke Poole's boat after lunch and went over to Tekao. Wet day & strong S wind blowing, came back at 6.30pm. Snap dragon with Mrs. Anson's children in the evening."
At the end of the year Robert went via Christchurch to Peel Forest taking advantage of a night in a hotel en route for a little indulgence.
| Date | 1893 |
| Linked to | Lt. Col. Robert Story |
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