Sir Julius von Haast. 



Obituary 



by 



Dr. G. von Hayek. 



(Extract from the obituary in the „Lyttelton Times"). 



Sir Julius von Haast was born near Bonn early in 

 1824, and was consequently in bis sixly-third year. He 

 arrived in New-Zealand in i858, having come to the 

 Colony with the intention of reporting its possibilities, as a 

 field for German emigration, to the Prussian Government. 

 A Strange chance turned bis energies into widely different 

 Channels, and altered totally the wbole tenor of bis future 

 life. By one of those singular coincidences that often 

 govern the lives of men, a frigate of the Austrian Imperial 

 Navy was coasting down to Auckland on the very day bis 

 immigrant ship cast anchor. It was the Novara, then within 

 a few months of completing her tour round the world 

 with a Company of savants, whose researches were being 

 made in the interests of their country. Sir George Grey 

 had Seen them at the Cape, and it is needless to say that 

 the geysers, the solfalaras, the terraces, the glaciers, and 

 the fiords of New-Zealand lost none of their charms under 

 bis description. The geologist of the expedition, the late 

 Dr. Ferdinand von Hochstetter, was bent on exploring such 

 a rieh and untouched scientific field, but saw little chance 

 of executing so very natural a wish. Luckily a geologist 

 was just wbat the Government of the day required — Judge 

 Richmond was one, the late Mr. H. J. Tancred was anotber. 

 A short, polite note from Governor Gore Brown to Com- 

 modore Baron Wüllerstorf- Urbair, the Commander of the 

 frigate; anotber equally polite and nearly as short from 

 the complaisant commodore to the Governor settled the 



