THE SAILING OF THE PRELIMINARY EXPEDITION.

Colonist, Volume LVIII, Issue 14515, 19 September 1917, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE SAILING OF THE PRELIMINARY EXPEDITION.

THE FIRST THREE SHIPS.

The preliminary expedition for the] choice and survey of the 6ite of Nelson sailed from Gravesend on Sunday afternoon, the 2nd May, IS4I. The two vessels were the "Whitby," Captain Lacey, carrying the flag, and the "Will Watch," Captain Walker. There was anotlor vessel, tho Arrow brig,. Captain Geary, lying close to, but she did not sail until- the 21st May. On the morning of that Sunday there was a large gathering on board the "Will Watch" of those who were going by the ships, and there, top, were several who had com© ;to wish the Expedition "God speed." Amongst the crowd was a clergyman, the Rev. 0. M. Torlesse, Rector of Stoke-by-Nayland, who had como on board to say good-bye to his 6on, who was going out as an "improper",on the survey staff; and to his .relation Captain Wakefield,'"who,-was in charge of the Expedition and to preach a farewell sermon to the officers and men of the Expedition- The preacher took for his text I Peter, iii., 13—; "And who is he that will harm you if ye be followers of that which is good?"The following are extracts from the peroration of this appropriate sermon: "We have met each other for tie first time, but shall probably meet.no more in this world. In a few days the winds and the w raves will have carried you far away. . . .1 pra£ earnestly that every earthly blessing may attend you, that you may carry, British industry, British honour, British. laws, to the remotest end of the world. ; . .

You are going forth to extend the British name in a far distant land, "to lay probably the foundation, of future greatness and splendour in the place of the forest which you will remove. . . . The heathen hear a good deal of Christianity from the missionaries, but they will judge it not by what they hear, but by what they see in you. However humble, obscure, and poor you may be, if you are honest, quiet, sober, and inoffensive in your conduct, patient under provocation, contented in the midst of privation,, the force of this silent ; preaching by example will be very, great; on the other hand, if you. ■call'-yourselves Christians and- yet exhibit no fruits of grace, -but are immoral in conduct, violent in language, unjust in your dealings, they will pro-" nounce the whole matter to be a trick, a lie, and an imposture."

(That part of Waimea Plain for some time called Brook Green, was named Stoke after the village of the Rev. Mr. Torlesse. This gentleman 6ent out the bell which hangs in the picturesque little 6tone church at Stoke.) In the afternoon the anchors were weighed, a salute of 21 guns was fired, and the "Whitby" and "Will Watch" sailed away for New Zealand in search of a site upon which to establish the settlement of Nelson.