Page:Reminiscences of Earliest Canterbury 1915.pdf/68

 involving from two to three days. I have known one of the Deans Brothers to walk from Riccarton to Akaroa for letters at different times. In cases where a mail had come in he would take it all, and going far out of his way on the return journey deliver welcome letters to the settlers.

Hospitality was on a most liberal scale in those early days, and, after the arrival of the first four ships, was heavily taxed. The new arrivals roamed all over the country in search of land or occupation, and as there were no hotels or accommodation houses the pioneers had to furnish them with food and shelter. On two separate occasions I can remember my mother having to put up twenty-one visitors, all of them complete strangers, giving them bed and breakfast. Six or seven were regarded as quite a small contingent. Frequently those people arrived wet through, and in that event their clothes had to be dried, and dry clothes provided in the interim. Money was often offered, but I have never known an instance of its having been accepted. I have known Mr. John Deans to have thirty people for lunch; ten or twelve was considered quite a reasonable number. This state of affairs continued