Biography of Stephen Wrathall, Chapters 14-17 
                        14. The Second Timber Purchase.
     With these instructions, the Captain of the Mary Ann upped anchor and
turned the vessel's nose towards sea for the return journey. Wrathall with
his sons now set to work to make themselves comfortable in the whare the
natives had provided and also to make another shanty for their sleeping
quarters. The miners' camp stretchers that they brought with them now
served to make their sleeping accommodation more attractive, and soon with
a little touching up of their sleeping apartment and general environment,
was all that could be desired under the circumstances.
     He now felt satisfied that he was solidly entrenched. Leaving Stephen
in charge of the store house, Mr Wrathall and his son John made for the
summit of a hill nearby so that he may be able to get a panoramic view of
the surrounding country. It was only then that he found there was a fine
Kauri bush covering the hillside sloping down to the banks of the Taipa
river, and stretching out from his holding to the opening of the Orutu
valley. He therefore made up his mind at once that he would open
negotiations for the purchase of this clump, and if he was successful in
securing the rights, he could then have his pits erected at Taipa, and so
centralise his operation.
     Having already established his stores dept, the vessel would have to
call to land the goods, and while there it could load up timber for return
freight to Australia and so save time and handling. It would also be
advantageous from a store service point of view, as the headquarters could
control both sets of records. All this passed through his mind in a flash
as he sat gazing on the geography of the country.
     On his return to the depot later on in the day, he found that Jimmy
the rat, the interpreter was waiting for him with a message from Pawai to
the effect that he felt that it would be advisable, and certainly
convenient for Wrathall to have a messenger stationed with him, so that if
he wanted to get into communication with Mangonui , he could do so by
sending a message to the interpreter, and a native could take it over the
inland track and return with his reply. Mr Wrathall seized the opportunity
and said that it would be very desirable to have that means of
communication. At the pr4esent moment he had an important matter to bring
before Pawai and he was pleased to be afforded the opportunity through the
interpreter's presence of getting him to lay the matter before Pawai on his
return to Mangonui .
     Wrathall continued, "Tell him that I now desire to deal with him for
the timber growing along the banks of the Taipa stream, as it will be more
convenient for me to commence operations here, now that I have partly
established my sons in business in this locality. When I work this timber
belt I could then, if I find it profitable, move my pitsawers to Mangonui."
     He then told the interpreter that if Pawai was favourably inclined to
tell him that he would like him to come over the area with him and they
could then bargain as to price, etc. He was prepared to treat him as
liberally as was the case in the Mangonui timber deal. The interpreter
promised to deliver the message, and intimated that Pawai would probably
sell the rights as he did not think the natives placed much value on the
timber as its only use, so far as he could see, was for the building of
canoes. They seemed to have a great number of this class of transport craft
as Wrathall would notice by the fleet hauled up along the shore of Mangonui
harbour.
     When the interpreter returned to Mangonui, he told Pawai that Mr
Wrathall was delighted with the suggestion of placing a native messenger at
Taipa and he was wondering if it would be possible to select one who
understood a little English, as it would be rather awkward otherwise. The
interpreter said that he had thought it over himself and had come to the
conclusion that Moko was about the most suitable as he was picking up the
language very quickly. Pawai agreed with this, saying that he too had Moko
in mind and said that Moko would do.
     The interpreter then delivered the message from Mr Wrathall regarding
his desire to come to an arrangement over the Taipa timber rights. Pawai
consented to go out to discuss the transaction. The following day the crew
manned the canoe and took Pawai, Moko and the interpreter to Taipa, where
the second bargain for native timber was closed on the same terms and
conditions as that applying to the Mangonui deal. The Taipa deal, however
included the purchase of the Waipuna block of land at Taipa on which
Wrathall's buildings were erected and comprised an area of about 20 acres.
The same amount of stores were doled out in exchange as that which applied
to the original Mangonui deal, and the canoe returned with another great
load of provisions. Moko struggled with the language until he eventually
mastered it, and in turn he taught both Stephen and John his language, so
his presence in the camp served a very useful purpose, to the delight of Mr
Wrathall. Both his sons were able to talk the Maori language sufficiently
to do business and soon they were able to discuss matters with the Maoris
without the aid of the interpreter.
                         15. Constructing the Saw Pits
     While waiting for the return of the Mary Ann , Mr Wrathall engaged the
men to erect 8 saw pits at Taipa, just above the water line, the material
being used being obtained from the bush. The sawpits were very massive
structures, built for the breaking down of large logs. He made a
log-hauling slip and set up a powerful hand winch at the head of the slip
to haul the logs from the river to the level of the skids so that they
could be jacked along to the pithead. The layout was under the direction of
Mr Wrathall who had learnt by experience in Australia the last thing in
economy in handling bulk timber.
     He prepared a 2-way run from the truck: one for the heavy logs to the
2 larger pit skids and the other for the lighter pits to deal with the
lighter logs. The winch parts arrived in cases, and when it was assembled
and placed in position at the head of the slip, the natives were amazed at
the power of this wonderful piece of machinery; the timber jacks too
attracted their attention when they saw them in commission, jacking the
logs into position for the winch to haul them into position for the log
hauling ship. The axes also claimed their attention. The only ones known to
the natives being the stone axe with the handle bound with Korari to the
stone blade: they seemed to have dropped suddenly into a new age.
     Mr Wrathall was expecting the return of his vessel within the next
week or so and he wanted everything to be in readiness for the sawers to
make a start the moment they arrived. Having finished the pits, skids and
log-hauling slip, he got the natives to build 6 double?bunk Nikau shanties
and a large cookhouse, with an open fireplace in it and an old-time
bushmen's table and stools hewn out of Rika saplings.
                          16. Timber Operations Begin
     Two days later the Mary Ann hove in sight off Kara kara point and the
following morning she drew into Taipa with a full load of goods as per
order, also the pit men that have already been enumerated. Pawai with his
canoes and men arrived soon after the Mary Ann, as he had noticed the
vessels from Mangonui making for Taipa, across the outer stretches of
Doubtless Bay.
     The Captain, on arrival, reported a favourable trip each way, the time
taken Taipa to Melbourne and back being 38 days. He said that the average
time would be about 40 days for these trips. Mr Wrathall said that if it
could be established he would be very well pleased, as he was sure that he
could guarantee a full freight each way commencing next trip. The
population of natives in the district was sufficient to consume in 40 days
the incoming cargo, while the timber that coupled be flitched in the time
would easily provide the outgoing freight. He was disappointed at not being
able to obtain a site at Mangonui for the warehouse as the port was so
suitably situated for shipping, but he would however make the best of Taipa
in the meantime as the centre from which to radiate.
     With the working gang of natives he had, the vessel was unloaded and
the whole of the goods delivered at the warehouse in one day. While the
operation was in progress, Taipa presented quite a busy appearance with the
ship unloading, the canoes running as tenders to the shore and the stream
of carriers going backwards and forwards, and the cook and assistants
attending to the meal. Wrathall's organisation was perfect. The new
arrivals were busily engaged in preparing their shanties, fixing up their
beds, etc., and arranging their belongings so that when night closed in
they would all be comfortably settled, the Maoris giving all the assistance
they could Wrathall provided a fairly substantial donation of goods for
them to take to their homes as compensation for their labours that day.
     That evening Mr Wrathall and Mr Cossil, his pitsawing foreman,
discussed the possibilities for the timber trade and decided upon the
method they would adopt in the handling. Next morning they took the ship's
boat and rowed up the river to view the timber, most of which could be seen
from the boat. The Captain had decided to stay a day to overhaul his ropes
and sails before leaving and there was a general holiday for the men. Mr
Wrathall had ordered a 16 foot flat-bottomed punt to carry 8 men. This boat
arrived and was put into commission to convey the men up and down the river
to work the timber and on account of its light draft proved very suitable
and serviceable.
     Next day Mr Wrathall wrote a repeated order for goods and the Mary Ann
set out on her return trip to Melbourne. When she had cleared the harbour
mouth, Wrathall went up to the scene of the bush felling operations about a
mile distant and found that 3  of the huge Kauri trees that were growing on
the banks of the river had been felled and the cross cutters were sawing
them into 20 foot lengths. By the time the tide had risen to its full, 10
of these huge logs were jacked into the tidal waters and made into a raft
and, as the tide receded, they were poled down to the saw pits and fastened
for the night.
     From then on the pitsawing went on uninterrupted. Cossil paired his
men for the different pits and, at Wrathall's request, he showed the
natives just how the job was done; and as they were anxious to try to pull
the pitsaws, they were given the opportunity. Each of them was coupled with
an expert and soon they were able to master the task, so Wrathall engaged
sufficient men to man the pits under Cossil. Flavell and Snowden were
placed in charge of the bush felling and rafting operations, and were given
a number of natives that were to be taught the art of felling,
crosscutting, making of skidded roads and the use of the timber jacks to
bring the timber from the stump of the tide.
     Soon the natives proved themselves to be splendid bushmen, and within
2 weeks the whole business was in full swing. The natives in the sawpits
too turned out to be first-class sawers. Wrathall gave orders for the best
of timber, the unshaken heart, to be cut into flitches of 6, 9 and 12
inches of thickness, and as wide as the heart would allow. All these were
to be stacked on the foreshore skids for export to Melbourne, while the
balance was to be cut into house-building timber and stacked in their
different sizes on the spare ground at the back, which eventually formed
the timber yard. There was no waste cutting the timber this way and soon
the heaps grew to tremendous sizes. Mr Wrathall then set out to build a
receiving shed on the foreshore to depot his goods from overseas on their
arrival at Taipa.
      As he had plenty of timber, he put up a rather spacious building,
then had another wooden building put up to replace the nikau whare now used
for his store. When the shelves and counters were finished he removed the
whole of his stock from the old store to the new one. As the medium and
second-class building timbers  were now accumulating at the pits he built
wooden shacks for his men. Mr Wrathall sent an invitation to Pawai to come
out and observe the change that had taken place at Taipa, and also to see
how the natives had mastered their several jobs.
     When Pawai arrived, he expressed surprise at the development, a huge
stack of flitches and several of building timber being stacked, all since
he had last visited the place, which was on the occasion of the Mary Ann's
last trip 34 days previously. This served to convince him that Wrathall had
a good team of men. Pawai was also delighted to find that some of the pits
were manned entirely by the natives and that he was pleased to know that
they were doing the work to the satisfaction of Wrathall's foreman.
                         17. Plans for a Cattle Station
     Every pit was in full swing by this time and quite a lot of timber was
being cut and stacked. Pawai intimated that he would like a wooden building
erected at Mangonui similar to the one that he pointed out, which was the
warehouse, stated that he had a block of land further up the stream that he
was prepared to give Wrathall if he would undertake to provide the building
he desired at Mangonui. Mr Wrathall said that if the land offer was
suitable he would most certainly comply with the request, so as the tide
was still rising, Pawai and Wrathall were taken in a canoe up to Orutu,
which lay at the lower end of the most beautiful, alluvial and fertile
valley. Pawai told Wrathall that he may have the land from where they were
to a distant pa in front of them and out to include the Hikurangi hill on
the right. Mr Wrathall roughly assessed the area offered at about 800 acres
with the Taipa navigable tidal waters running right up to these beautiful
river flats. He thought it would be a magnificent country on which to
establish a stock ranch so he told Pawai he was prepared to make a deal
with him.
     They returned to Taipa and went into a few questions of detail as to
price, conditions, etc. and eventually the bargain was closed. The
agreement was drawn up and signed, and witnessed by 2 nz and 2 Europeans.
When the stamp was affixed and cancelled, Pawai was sent off with £200
worth of stores, in addition to which the  building had to be erected later
at Mangonui as requested by Pawai.
     Mr Wrathall set out his plans for the  use he would make of this great
tract of country and he decided to bring over a scow load of cattle from
the Mittagong station in Australia, where he had retained and still owned
all the  spotted and badly-marked cattle. He decided that he would go back
on the Mary Ann, which was due to arrive back in NZ within a week or 10
days. To his surprise however, she was seen rounding the cape at nightfall
the  following day and she dropped her anchor at Taipa just 37 days after
she had left, a day better than the  previous trip. This convinced Wrathall
of the  possibility of a fairly regular service across the Tasman, and he
made him all the  more enthusiastic regarding the  prospects of the
venture he had now embarked upon because he had, in the  preliminary stages
earlier, had grave doubts as to the  handling of the  marine service run
between NZ and Australia.
Pawai and his party again arrived and carried out the  unloading operations
which were easier than the  first load by the  erection of the  receiving
shed on the  beach. For the  natives? services they were given the  usual
goods in compensation. Their services included the  loading of the  vessel
with 40 000 ft of flitches. This done, Mr Wrathall called his sons into the
office in the  new store building and told them of his intention of going
to Australia with the Mary Ann, making arrangements for the  placing of the
timber, and while there, of getting together some breeding cows and a
couple of bulls to start in the  run cattle breeding business.  He told
them that he intended placing this under the  management of John, while he
was going to put Stephen in charge of the store branch. He gave Stephen
definite instructions that should Pawai require a large order of goods
during his, Wrathall's absence in Australia, for the  large gathering of
native chiefs that was likely to take place in Mangonui in the  near
future, not to be afraid to supply the  order up to any amount within the
limits of ?300, as he was prepared to go that far as an additional sum for
the  payment of the Orutu property that he had just acquired. He said to
charge the  goods supplied on his order to Pawai's Timber and Land A/C as
that formed the  basis of dealings to date. He also told Stephen that he
would like him to get into the  good graces of Pawai; that was very
important as his future in NZ depended entirely upon the  impressions the
natives formed of him as a trader in their midst. If they found him to be
upright in his dealings, as Wrathall hoped he would always prove himself to
be, then he did not think there would be any doubt as to his future
success. NZ was an undeveloped land teeming with possibilities and if
Stephen should become well established in business before the  in rush of
immigration, then he would look back with pride upon the  days when he
blazed the  trail in the  country that would surely become one of Britain's
most wealthy and one of her greatest possessions. Until, Wrathall said, he
returned again, he hoped that the  sons would pull together and see that
the  natives were treated fairly. He said to give the  natives who were
employed in the  pits and the  bush goods up to the  value of about £2 each
per week; the difference either way could be adjusted when he returned.
     Mr Wrathall then called Cossil, his foreman, into the  office and
informed him of his intention of going to Australia to fit his timber scow
up to bring over a shipment of cattle and to send her back with a freight
of timber. During his absence, Cossill might carry on as he was doing and
have a load of flitched timber ready for the Mary Ann when she got back and
another load ready for the  scow, which should arrive about 2 of 3 weeks
later. He told Cossil to keep to the  stock sizes for the  flitches and if
he, Wrathall, got special orders while in Australia, these could be cut for
freights following. "If weather permits, keep the  pits going at top as it
will be wise to have on hand at all times more that the vessel compliment.
If you should at any time want extra hands, tell Stephen and he will send a
message to Pawai, who has promised to send whenever needed, whatever number
of men I require," said Wrathall. He also handed a sealed note to Stephen
addressed to Pawai. This note read as follows:
     "Dear Pawai,
     I have decided to make a brief trip to Australia for the  purpose of
getting some stock to start breeding cattle and sheep in your country. I
will bring them back with me in a scow. During my absence, I am leaving my
son Stephen, in charge here and I have told him that if any trouble should
arise, to get in touch with you immediately. I would therefore like you to
pay him an occasional visit to see that he is working harmoniously with
your people. I trust that you will be good enough to do this. My sons and I
look upon you as the  King of this country, and I feel that your
guardianship over the  lads during my absence will be of inestimable value.
In conclusion, may I ask you to bring your men, when the  scow is sighted
off the  cape, out to Taipa to assist in the  unloading of the  cattle from
the  vessel and to their safe delivery on to the  area you have allotted me
at Orutu. In the  meantime, farewell, and I wish you the  best of health
and happiness.
     Signed, S Wrathall"
Regards, Steve Wrathall