SAILOR PIONEERS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 237, 7 October 1933, Page 1 (Supplement)

SAILOR PIONEERS.

DISCOVERING NELSON.

THE PILOT'S STORY.

(By J.C.)

Tho city of Christchurcli and the province of Canterbury might be known as Nelson to-day, and the whole character and history of the district might havo been changed, had it not been for a. certain Captain George Moore, a young English master mariner, of Wellington. The story ift all but unknown; it is, however, on authentic record, in diary or journal form, a valuable footnote to history which has not yet been embodied in a book. It is a curious fact that the name of Nelson settlement had been decided upbn and all arrangements made for planting this second colony of the New Zealand Company long before a site for it had been found. Nelson Haven, with its long boulder bank that made of it as snug a harbourage as an artificial dock, had not even been discovered by white navigators when the expedition of the three pioneer ships under Captain Arthur Wakefield, R.N., arrived at Wellington from England in 1841. These vessels were the barques Whitby and Will Watch and the brig Arrow. The problem was to select a suitable liarboui with sufficient good land behind it, and it was just a toss-up whether the expedition should not make for Port Cooper, as Lvttelton Harbour was first called, and found a colony there. Looking For a Harbour At this juncture, when the Wakefield brothers were discussing at Wellington tho question of the expedition's destination. Captain Moore, who had been trading about the coast for a year oi so in a brigantine named the Jewess, talked over this matter of a likely site with his friend Charles Heapliy afteiwards Major Heapliy, V.C., of Auckland — who was then a surveyor and draughtsman on the company's Wellington staff. The two of them lived in a raupo-tliatched whare on Clay Point, just above the present corner ot Lambton Quay and Willis Street. There they looked 'out on the newly-arrived vessels at anchor, and wondered where tho second colony would be set up. Presently Moore found opportunity to meet the Wakefields, and he told them ho believed, from his knowledge of the northern part of the South Island coast, that in tho great bight of Blind Bay, otherwise Tasman's Gulf, or thereabouts, a likely place could be found for the settlement.

Tlie result of these conferences was tliat Captain Monro was requested to pilot the expedition across the Strait and assist in the search for a harbour and land, and he and his friend Heapliy sailed with Captain Wakefield in the Whitby, which was accompanied by the. other two vessels. The expedition anchored at Astrolabe Island, and the officers visited Motucka (Motu-wcka) and other parts in the ships' boats, and fraternised with the Maoris. Moore had some knowledge of the Maori language, and lie obtained information which led him to believe that at the head of the deep bay a good harbour and fertile land would be found.

Early on the morning of November 5, 1841, Moore, having secured Captain Wakefield's approval of his proposed exploration, left the Whitby in one of the ship's boats. The arrangement was that Moore should make southward to the head of the bay, any if any "fair harbour" was discovered, to signal at night by lighting a huge fire and sending up rockets.

First Landing on the Boulder Bank. "Wo lioisted sail," Captain Moore narrated in his journal, "and stood over for about 25 miles, direct across the bay. Soon after noon we sighted a long strip or tongue of land lying parallel to the mainland, and extending to the south for several miles towards some apparently level land. This we made for, and found it to be a bank of large boulder stones. Alongside, as near as wc could sail, we bore up to the south until wo noticed the mainland receding to the eastward in the form of a bay. Here, the sea being pretty smooth, we effected a landing on the round, smooth boulder rocks. I jumped out first, then Mr. Brown, while Cross kept the boat clear of the rocks. As soon as Brown and myself got to the top of the. bank we found we could walk easier, and to my surprise we discovered there was a channel between us and tlie mainland. Some mud flats were visible, but there seemed a defined channel and deep water. As I felt sure there must be an opening from seaward somewhere through this boulder bank, and our glasses showing the bank joined the mainland to the northward, I conjectured the opening was to the south. I instructed our coxswain to sail under easy canvas as close as was safe to the bank while we walked on. This we did. and found the walking getting more level and easy. The land to 1 our east was opening out and showing a large area' of available land, some of which was well timbered, the whole forming an indented bay, with moderate ranges of hills covered with light scrub or fern; while the channel appeared to o-et more open and deeper between the shore and the boulder spit or bank, along which wo still walked to the southward. ■ "At last wc noticed the boulder bank had a termination, and that the tide was flowing in from the south of the inlet. Wc signalled for our boat, reembarked and sailed along the bouldci bank, rounded it with a strong Hood tide, and found ourselves drifting into the mouth of what appealed a faiily

good and sheltered harbour, with sufficient deej) soundings and breadth for our proposed expedition, and many other ships that might follow.

"We took lines of soundings, ' and, using our armed lead, found the bottom of the inlet to be good holding ground, while the peculiar form of the harbour, and its natural protection from all winds by the marvellous boulder bank and the moderately high lands of the main, gave greater advantages for the new Nelson settlement than the western side of the bay, where on that morn we had left our ships safe at. Astrolabe. "After making a nasty survey of the port, we climbed a hill, where we got an extended view with our glasses —the long boulder bank to the north, and the western, shores of Blind Bay, the white cliffs at the head of the sandy sea beaches between Motueka and our new discovery. Then,. again, far stretching to the south, were probably accessible and fertile valleys.

Signalling the Discovery. "The memorable November 5, 1841, was now drawing to a close. We pulled our boat to the mouth of a fresh watercourse and landed. We patched our first tent —the boat's sails and tarpaulins —pulled lots of dry fern and made ourselves snug; then we had a good meal, and, ascending the hill close behind us, we gathered lots of dry fern, manuka, light scrub and other material for a bonfire.' As night advanced we could see a large fire on the island we had left that morning, as promised by Captain Wakefield. So with a cheer we lighted our Guy Fawkes fire and piled up heaps of fuel. This sent up a flame that lighted up all our surroundings, and was noticed by the lookouts at the ships. Then, after a little, up flew, like a meteor, a rocket from Astrolabe.

" 'Mr. Brown,' I said, 'go to our boat and bring me the rockets, and • also bring up a bottle of brandy. We will give the men a tot and drink to the further success of Captain Wakefield and all his people in Nelson.'

"This was soon done, and up went our rockets, one, 'wo, three, which were answered by another from Astrolabe. Then the dull boom of a ship's gun was heard. The night was calm and clear, and all was joyous, and we were fatigued from our long day's work. We slept soundly, at all events I did, for my dream was realised and my mind at ease."

Next day Captain Moore reported his success to Captain Wakefield, who, after examining the new-found port — tho Wliakatu of the Maoris—for himself, decided that it was an eminently suitable place for his settlement. The little fleet, piloted in by Moore, who went ahead in a boat, was presently safely at. anchor in the haven, "like a ■well-designed dock wall and gates," Moore wrote. "Under the lee of this stony bank there lay moored three trim ships, safe and snug from all winds, that had brought out from England nearly 70 souls —stout, strong, lialcliearted pioneers." |