II. THE EXPEDITION SHIPS ARRIVE AT ASTROLABE.

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

11. THE EXPEDITION SHIPS ARRIVE AT ASTROLABE.

According to the evidence of all the survivors of the Expedition the brig ''Arrow," although thfc last to > sail,; was the first to .arrive .at Port Niehol--son; she was folio wed in a few days by the "WiirWatch'. 5 and th'e^Whitby" arrived last. ~

Nothing definite tad been "settled before the Expedition sailed from England as to the sitej'of the future settlement. There was/; a general impression in the minds of those on board the ships that they were- bound for some place in the Jieighbourhood of Bank's Peninsula; but Governor Hobson would tear of no such thing. He wished the Expedition to go to Auckland—for Auckland was to be the future capital of the colony. Fox about three weeks the parleying went on. At last one morning Colonel Wakefield, brother of Captain Wakefield in charge of the Expedition^ came on board the "Whitby" and said to his brother, "You cannot go to Port Cooper, the Governor won't sanction it, but I'll give yoil a ?ilot and an interpreter. I have card there is some good land about Blind Bay, and you had better go and find it."

Accordingly? the -ships left "Port Nic." and it must have been early in October when the ships sailed,.across Cloudy Bay, where the Watch' 1 and 'tArrow" remained, whilst the "Whitby" went on to Kapiti, and CapWakefield had a satisfactory interview with the chief. •

The "Whitby" then ran across the Straits to Astrolabe Roads, the "Will Watch" and tie "Arrow" following, and all three were soon safely anchored: " - '" '"' ' -\- "■.. . .

Several days < were Bpent at Astrolabe; boats were cruising about every day; survey parties were sent out and their reports wore generally good. It was practically, settled that Kaiteriteri should be the site of the future town, and the survey was even commenced. But Captain W Takefield was not quite satisfied with the port or the possibilities of obtaining sufficient country lands in its vicinity. . (Kaiteriteri is little known to the general public even to-day, but it is quite familiar to tte good folk of Riwaka. It is their summer sea-side resort, and about Christmas and New Year time is a veritable canvas town. It is a delightful spot, and here happy children play on the golden sands as did- the sprites in Ariel's song.) Accordingly one of the two Deal boats was manned, J. S. Cross as coxswain, . and v young Brown, one of the survey cadets, going with the seamen in her. Ttey sailed across the southeastern part of the bay and struck the Boulder Bank. All got out of the boat except J. S. Cross, who remained on board to keep her off the stories as the rest tracked the boat down the bank. And so they came at last to the' narrow entrance: then all got on board and trailed safely into Nelson 1: aven. At nightfall a bonfire was lighted as a signal to Captain Wakefield cf the discovery of a harbour.

-..' HI. The arrival of the ships in Nelson harbour and the hoisting of tt c first thiion Jack in Nelson. J

Next day the boat started on its return to the ships, met Captain Wakefield cruising about in the other Deal boat off Motucka, and reported to him tho glad tidings of tie discovery of a ;good harbour. Captain Wakefield had heard there was good land about the Cvoixellcs, and he nl«i wished to «<*o the Wakapuaka Natives, so he ordered tte brig Arrow over to the Croixelles, with one of the big Deal boats in tow. The brig ". remained there ■ one night, -fmd next morning dropped down -to "Wakapuaka. ", _ Hero" she -left the- boat.. TWe were -r -iiino or ten in tl:is'boat, including

Captain Wakefield, and Brooks tho interpreter, and J. S. Cross as coxswain. Ihe Natives were very friendly, and seemed pleased to see the pakehas. The boat thon started for the new harbour, and; soundings • were- taken' as they came .along the Boulder Bank; Tren the entrance to Wakatu (meaning a standing "place'or shelter for canoes) was reached, and for the second time the harbour was entered by a boat manned by a British crew. Two days were spent climbing the hills and inspecting the country, and the boat returned to Astrolabe, And so on- Friday, tie sth Novomber, 1841, the anchors were weighed and the expedition sailed from Astrolabe for the newly discovered haven. ,The "Arrow" was the first to sail [through tl'e narrow channel, and hence :the well known rock at the. entrance obtained the name-^-the Arrow llock (now changed to Fifeshire Rock). She was followed by the "Will Water," which also got in safely, but the "Whitby" unfortunately took ' the ground and stuck hard and fast. However, she floated off at next morning's high tide and swung into tie harbour nicely.

Some hands were sent to the wood for a sapling, which they wore not long in finding, and withjthe tacklq brought asLore the flagstaff 'was speedily erected on the crest of the hill overlooking the entrance to the havon, and the Union Jack, which Captain Wakefield I had brought for the purpose from England,' and had kept carefully wrapped in. a leathern ojjse in his cabin, was hoisted by him;, and. the British flag floated in the breeze, signalling to the •world ttat'yet another colony of the British race had been planted on the I stores of the Britain of > the South.

That day was taken up with the erection of Captain Waljefield's tent on tie side of the hill, and in rambling fever the hills. At night all returned to the ships, but next day, 'Sunday, most went ashore early, and attended service in the agent's tent, Captain Wakefield reading the Church of England prayers.

[Note.—-Have -we anytl-ing in our fair city to mark the memory of these three ships? If riot, why not? 'Councillors please note.]

•IV. A glimpse at Captain Wakefield, the leader of the Expedition.

Captain Arthur Wakefield, R.N., whose brother, Colonel William Wakefield, tad gone out with the first expedition, was not only entrusted with the general control or the Expedition, but he was also to be agent and chief resident officer 7 for the company in the projected settlement :of Nelson. He was peculiarly fitted-: fbr thß>post. Entering the ftavy at ten years of age, he first sailed .in tke Nisus frigate with. Captain Beaver in the expedition to Bulama and other places. He was present at the taking of Batavia and the Isle of France, and in the land engagements of Bladensburg and Washington, where he served as aide-de-camp to Admiral Sir George Cockburn. He was afterwards for some time in command of a bring on the coast of Africa, where Ire captured .several slave ships after obstinate engagements. Thrice he jumped overboard and saved the lives of shipmates at eea. ~ He had served in all parts of the world, arid left the command of the "Rhadamanthus" steam frigate eiortly before undertaking the foundation of the Nelson settlement in -the service of the New Zealand Company. Entering the Navy at so early an age, he could have acquired but little of school learning. But at all times foe was- a diligent student. He understood and read almost as his own tie French, Spanish, and Italian languages, and had acquired considerable reputation' in naval gunnery and shipbuilding.' His manners were conciliatory, -and'his judgment in all mat--ters of .practical life eminently sound. -W^ise^temperate, and firm; unassuming, with self-confidence, commanding respect when- seeming to show it; never 'for a: moment the. slave of passion— ; always, the active servant of 'du'ty^— he was by nature cut out for the founder of a colony, for..a leader of men.

Such was the history and character of the man, as gathered from the oral, testimony of a few of the survivors of those who knew him in the first days of the Nelson settlement: and from various' letters . and articles in the "Nelson Examiner," published shortly after, his untimely death in the shocking massacre at tte Wairau.

A tablet to his memory i« prected in Christ Church Cathedral, Nelson.