HISTORIC VOYAGE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 110, 12 May 1939, Page 15

HISTORIC VOYAGE.

HUNDRED YEARS AGO.

TORY SETS OUT FOR N.Z

GOVERNMENT DEFIED,

One hundred years ago to-day—May 12. 18:t!i—the New Zealand Company's advance ship Tory finally sailed from Plymouth. The Tory had left (iraveaend rii May 6 after it* chief passengers had dined comfortably at the Falcon Inn in the company of Messrs. Somes, Edward Gibbon Wakefield and Rinloul of the '"Spectator," and after the firing of a salute of its eight gllliti in honour of the enterprise. Jt had bad trouble off Cawsand Bay on the Bth, anchoring to recover from the emotion of a narrowly escaped collision in which the Tory carried away a schooner's bowsprit. Plymonth >'.'.■■■• 1 wa« reached in the afternoon, w. , Charles Heaphy, the artist, joined tiie ship. Two days later the Tory sailed, the rumoured prohibition of the voyage by the British Government, which had brought Wakefield hurrying down to Plymouth, not having come to anything..

It was only after prolonged attempts to coax the IJoverniiient into supporting tin , Xt'w Zealand Company's schemes had failed that the director*'had decided to take the bull by the horns ami send their expedition without its approval. Effectively. thir< decision meant that the company wan prepared to commit its settlor* to residence in New Zealand without any assurance that they would make tfeir homes in a British country. This hold act. did actually force the (Jovenimeiii's hand. Since the first step had been taken to colonise Niw Zealand, it was felt that the circumstances, in Lord XnrmaribyV words, "fraught with calamity to a numerous ,->nd itioiTensive people.'' the Maoris, compelled the (lovcrnnicut to intervene. The sailing of the lory is. therefore, an event of grout significance in the history of the Dominion. A Distinguished Company. The personnel of the Tory expedition was varied and distinguished. Kdwnrd (iihboii's brother. Colonel William VVaketi<'ld. was in command of the expedition, though not, of course, of the ship. He was a silent, reserved man, of great practical and organising ability, who was to give good service to Ihe company and to Xew Zealand before bis early deatli in Wellington in 1848. The Tory's i captain, Kdmund Mcin Chaffers, had served in the Xa\y and had been sailing master on board H.M.S. Beagle , during its long exploring voyage from 18:{() to 18.Mi, in the course of which lie had called at Xew Zealand. Charles Heaphy nailed as the company's draughtsman. His pictures of early X-ew Zealand and the V.C. lui won in the Maori War are equally famous. Dr. Dorset, who was to be the company's surgeon in Xew Zealand, wkk on board. but (Jeorge F. Robinson was the ship's surgeon. The expedition's naturalist, Dr. Ernst DiefYenbaeh, a youii" (Icrmiui political exile, was also a qihiJffied .surgeon. Diffenbach pnbli-hed an interesting two-volume book on his experiences, which included the first ascent of Mount Kgmont. Edward .Terningham Wakefield, only son of Kdwurd (Hhbon, sailing as secretary to his uncle, Colonel Wakefield, was also to publish a lively account of his Xew Zealand experiences. The chief mate, Richard Lowry, gave liis name to Lowry Bay. There was also on board a Maori. Xayti. who had been visiting England and France and had lived for some time in Wakeh'eld's house in London. He was the expedition's interpreter. Robert Doddery, engaged a.s the company's storekeeper, was assistant interpreter. He had visited Xew Zealand from Tasmania on a trading voyage. Xayti was not the only Polynesian on board, as there was another Maori and a native of the Marc|uesas Islands among the crew. The whole complement of the :W4-ton Tory, including the company's own party, numbered :i~>. How Time Was Killed. Colonel Wakefield's diary, now in the Alexander Turnbull Library, tells us how they whiled away the tedious j voyage. They held debates; they fished for sharks; they kept a keen look-out for other shi|>s, or such wonders of the deep as finback whales, porpoises, flying fish and the zoophytes fished up for examination by Dr. Dieffenbach. During the voyage discussion must have turned on hypnotism, or "magnetism," as it used to be called. Jerninghani Wakefield '"magnetised" j Heaphy, who became "hysterical and I finally a maniac." Heaphy recovered | iifter about four hours. This singular experiment was later repeated, with nearly the same effect on the unfor- i tunate subject. Another somewhat untoward event was a curious delusion developed by poor Xayti, who had begun the voyage "very dull and thoughtful." Two months later Xayti refused to eat meals with the cabin party, because he believed that whenever they epoke of an albatross they covertly referred to him. The long voyage was apparently telling on his nerves. Tt was at noon on August Iβ, IS3O. after a remarkably quick passage, that those on the Tory sighted the west coast of "Tavai Poenamoo," the South Island. They had made their landfall at approximately the same place as Abel Tasman nearly 200 years before. The Tory heralded an epoeh quite a« j definitely as the historic voyage of the I Dutch discoverer. I