Page:Reminiscences of Earliest Canterbury 1915.pdf/62

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large holdings they were not greedy for land. For the most part they appeared to be satisfied with holdings of about five acres, but such properties as they did secure they cultivated industriously, growing fruit, especially grapes, with which they made a good deal of excellent wine. In course of time, as settlement advanced, some acquired considerable holdings. A few sold out, and returned to France, but those who did so were settlers who had no families. As may be surmised, there are very few of the French pioneers alive at the present date (July, 1912). Those who do survive were very young on arrival at Akaroa. I have been able to secure a considerable number of photographs of those French settlers, which, I trust, will appear in the collection I propose to publish. By reason of intermarriage with British colonists there are now very few pure French in Akaroa.

A typical French pioneer was the late M. Francois Etienne Lelievre, who was universally loved and respected. His son, M. Etienne Lelievre, has succeeded to the property, and fives in Akaroa.

As a type of the Germans who came out with the French in 1840 was the late Mr.