MAKING BEST OF IT

Taranaki Daily News, 4 March 1933, Page 13 (Supplement)

MAKING BEST OF IT

THE EARLY SETTLEMENT

(By

T.C.L.)

On Saturday, June 19, 1841, Mr. Cutfield astonished the Maoris with a display of fireworks, probably the first introduced into New Zealand. The rockets particularly appealed, calling forth expressions of astonishment as they ascended into the air, and on bursting threw out innumerable stars of all colours.

Mr. Chilman was troubled with visits from wild pigs, and his fowls nearly destroyed his turnips and cabbages, so that he decided to erect a fence round his garden, and build a fowl house. He also notes in his diary on June 26: “I observe that the wheat has made its appearance above the ground, being within a fortnight of my sowing it.” On Sunday afternoon, June 27, Mr. Chilman and his wife walked as far as the Henui, this being the first time th?y could leave the place together, owing to the door of their house not being previously fixed. Early ,in the morning of the same day, Mr. Chilman says: “I was surprised to see a vessel at anchor off Moturoa, so I walked to the place after breakfast, when I found it to be the brig Speculation from Sydney, via Wellington. She had 10 passengers on board,, one of whom intends opening a store here. Mr. Barrett went off in the vessel and took her to the anchorage opposite Our settlement, arid they landed their goods very well up to Tuesday evening, when a strong northwest wind having come on in the night, and it blowing very heavily on Friday morning' (July 3), the brig was obliged to leave. Saw some Wellington papers on June 5, which contained very little news, with the exception of the correspondence about the Charter to the New Zealand Company, a circumstance we had heard of two or three weeks previously. The arrangements are, I think, very satisfactory. Mr. Cutfield has received a letter from Mr. Woolcombe, stating that the Amelia Thompson was taken up for this place, and that the Company would pefhaps take up another vessel 'to accompany her. He also wrote that New Zealand affairs were going on well in? England.”

Money was scarce in those days, and barter was a common practice between’ the settlers a!nd the natives. Writing on July 3, Mr. Chilman says: “I made a purchase this week of a New Zealand mat, for sending home. I gave a blanket for it.” The settlers also b ran to feel their isolation, for in his diary Mr. Chilman writes that “they all were getting anxious for the arrival of the next ship from Home, as they wished to learn how their friends in England were.” Meanwhile preparations were being made by the Plymouth Company at Home to send the second of the six .barques. This was the Amelia Thompson, a Sunderland-built vessel of .480 tons, ■ Captain William Dawson. She left Plymouth on March 25, 1841, with 187 passengers, of .whom 104 were males. The voyage out was long and tedious, but not unpleasant, the weather being generally favourable throughout. When Brazilian waters were reached, the winds being variable, the captain decided to put into Bahia, to break the monotony. Here the ship remained four days at anchor, and obtained a supply of fresh water, fruit and vegetables. An old journal records that all hearts were saddened at the sight of gangs of slaves, some chained together, the poor creatures being emaciated and covered with sores. - .. l •

; There were seven, deaths on the voyage, out,' and seven births. Among the passengers was Captain Henry King, R.N., the chief commissioner for the company. Before leaving England, Captain King had several houses built in sections, and these were assembled later on arrival in New Plymouth. The equinoctial gales were blowing when the Amelia Thompson arrived off the Sugar Loaves on September 3, and the captain, being a cautious man, did not feel too comfortable in such an open roadstead. Writing in his diary on September .4, Mr. Chilman says: “We were exceedingly astonished yesterday afternoon to see Captain King and his son walking towards the storehouse, as we had seen nothing of the ship that day. It • appears they arrived in the ship's cutter, having left the vessel about 20 miles off. The wind was light, and against them, but they at last made land near Moturoa.”

On Saturday morning, September ,4, the ship was again sighted opposite the town, and continued there all day until 4 or 5 o’clock, when she stood off. The mail bags were sent on shore, and in the same boat came some of the ship’s passengers, but nothing else was landed. “Our little community,” says Mr. Chil- s man in his diary on September 11, “has been kept in a state of great excitement all the week owing to the strange conduct of the captain* of the Amelia Thompson: On Saturday last, as stated in my journal, the captain was afraid to bring his ship to anchor, it blowing rather fresh in the afternoon from the N.W. The wind, however, moderated in the evening, and we fully expected on Sunday morning to have seen the ship close at hand and ready to anchor, as it was a beautiful day with but little wind. Instead of this she was about 10 or 12 miles to the south of the Sugar Loaves, with a faint wind and that against her, so that she could not work up her anchorage. We sent off the Company’s boat to her at 8 o’clock in the morning, and it returned about 3 o’clock with some of the immigrants. The ship’s longboat was also towed by the cutter and brought a number of their passengers, with their bedding, etc. On Monday the ship was in about the same position as the day before. On Tuesday we had a fresh breeze from the north and northeast. The ship showed herself, but the captain stood off, although there .was nothing in the weather to prevent him from bringing up either off Nganiotu or off the town. On Wednesday we had but little wind, but the ship was so far to the southward that she could not fetch up to the Sugar Loaves, the captain apparently thinking that there is no safety for him unless he is 10 or 20 miles from the place. He must have stood for the Strait and gone into it, for the vessel was out of sight.” (To be continued.)