[June 1820]
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June 3d, Saturday. In the evening the party returned from Wangarooa, and reported that George had treated them with marked civility. He had cut down, and got into the water, twenty trees, only one of which was sufficiently large: but the banks of the river were found to abound with cowry; and as the natives showed every disposition to assist the Europeans, the carpenter was of opinion that there could be no great difficulty in loading the ship. The timber-purveyor of the Coromandel having given cowry a decided preference to kaikaterre, and the carpenter of the Dromedary agreeing with him, it was determined to abandon all further operations at the Cowa-Cowa, and sail as soon as possible to Wangarooa.
The late rains had flooded the banks of the Cowa-Cowa to such a degree that the sailors were obliged to return to the ship; and the natives now declined giving any further assistance till the forest became dry, and the weather moderate.
5th, Monday. At noon, the detachment of
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the 84th regiment landed on a neighbouring beach, and fired three volleys, in honour of His Majesty's birthday. The exercise of troops was at all times a spectacle highly gratifying to the natives. They were astonished that so many men could execute with such precision the different movements at the same instant; and they observed of the firing this day, "that all the soldiers were the same as one man."
The mild and friendly manner of the soldiers had almost immediately removed the prejudices that had been at first formed against them, and they were now very great favourites. As their dress and their duties were different from those of any white people whom they had before seen, the New Zealanders could not be persuaded that they belonged to the same tribe as the rest of the crew; and when they occasionally went on shore to amuse themselves in the neighbouring villages, the people collected all their muskets for them to perform the firelock-exercise; an exhibition with which they were so pleased, that
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they often rewarded it with some act of kindness or generosity.
The deference that discipline obliged the soldiers to pay to their officers, and the costly dresses of the latter, gave the islanders a very exalted idea of our rank; and in their extreme simplicity, they frequently asked us if we were not the sons of the King of England; and if we did not live in the same house with him, when we were in our own country.
June 6th, Tuesday. Mr. Marsden having received an account, by the Coromandel, of the death of Tekokee's son, whom he had left at his establishment at Paramatta, and the unfortunate parent coming on board, the melancholy tidings were told to him. It would be impossible to describe his grief, and that of a considerable part of his family, who accompanied him. They sat down in a circle upon the deck, and requested that the particular part of the letter where the boy's name was mentioned might be pointed out to them: with it they frequently touched noses; and prolonged for nearly two hours their incessant
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and melancholy lamentations for his untimely fate.
June 7th, Wednesday. Sailed, the Coromandel for the river Thames, having on board Towretta, a chief of that place, Mr. Marsden, Tooi, and Timoranga. The latter had passed the night in the Dromedary; and just as he was about to take his leave, cautioned the Captain, with much earnestness, on no account to allow many of the natives of Wangarooa to come on board at the same time.
With the departure of the Coromandel our connection with Tooi ceased. The trouble and expense that had been bestowed in attempting to civilise him, appeared to have entirely failed; and we found him, without exception the greatest savage, and one of the most worthless and profligate men in the Bay of Islands.
During the night, some blocks and ropes, that were used in hauling the spars on the neighbouring beach, were stolen.
8th, Thursday. Tekokee came on board in the morning apparently quite recovered from his late affliction, and offered to ac-
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company the ship to Wangarooa, and give every assistance in getting in the cargo: as it was understood that he was on friendly terms with the people of that harbour, his proposal was accepted.
June 9th, Friday. At twelve, died John Taylor, seaman; and to prevent the possibility of his remains being disturbed by the natives, they were interred in the evening in an adjacent wood, with every possible privacy.
In the course of the day a man named Towterree, who was by no means remarkable for his civility, attempted to force his way into the ship, notwithstanding the sentinel's repeated orders to him not to do so. The soldier, finding words to have no effect, presented his bayonet to him, determined to oppose his further intrusion, which so intimidated Towterree, that he returned to his canoe, but in an outrageous passion, declaring his intention of taking revenge upon the first white man that came to his village.
11th, Sunday. Our old friend Tetoro came to take leave, previously to his departure for
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the river Thames. He told us his object in going thither was not to fight, but to carry back Mr. Marsden; but his two war-canoes, with sixty men and ten muskets, spoke strongly against the peaceable intention of his journey. In the evening, he passed the ship in very good style, and saluted her with a musket.
June the 12th and 13th. Four spars were taken on board, and the remaining fourteen (being the whole produce of our labours at the Cowa-Cowa) were sent to remain on King George's beach till the return of the ship from Wangarooa. In the course of the day Tekokee brought back the blocks and ropes that had been stolen. He gave himself the credit of having taken a great deal of trouble to recover them, but he would not say who the thieves were.
14th, Wednesday. The morning being very fine some of the gentlemen went on shore; but at noon the wind set in at N. E. and continued to freshen till three P. M., when we attempted to return to the ship. The natives, on seeing us get into the boat, with much
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anxiety endeavoured to dissuade us from making any effort to regain the Dromedary at that time, saying there was much wind and much sea; but, as the place where we embarked was quite land-locked, we had little reason to suppose the weather was so very bad; however, upon opening the heads of the bay, we saw the extent of our imprudence, -- it blew a gale of wind, the sea was so heavy that the little boat was in danger of filling every moment, and the only resource left was to make the nearest beach, which was effected with some danger.
On landing, the natives, who were of the chief Pomarree's family, received us with the greatest joy and satisfaction: a large fire was made to dry our clothes; potatoes, which nothing could induce them to sell, were voluntarily given, and cooked for our dinner: their houses were offered for our accommodation during the night; and as they had observed that we had eaten nothing during the day, they frequently expressed their surprise that we could do without food so long,
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and remarked, with concern, that we must be very hungry.
The people in the ship having observed our boat pull from the shore into the bay, and having then lost sight of her, sent one of the cutters to our assistance; but such was the violence of the wind and sea, that she did not make the cove where we had taken shelter till late in the evening.
The relief on our part was quite unexpected; and, wet as we were, we almost lamented that an opportunity offered, which justified our defeating the hospitable preparations of our entertainers. Consigning the small-boat and all its appendages to their care, we took our leave, and gained the ship with much risk and great difficulty.
June 16th, Friday. Unmoored at daylight, and at noon the ship was got under weigh, and dropped down to Kororadeca, preparatory to her sailing.
17th, Saturday. The weather was squally, and the wind unfair to get out of the bay.
At noon a letter was brought by a native,
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from the carpenter, who was at Wangarooa, stating, that the bullocks, which had long since been landed at Kiddy-Kiddy, might, if brought round to Wangarooa, be of much use in dragging the spars from the woods to the water's edge. The launch was immediately sent for them; and they were with great labour and inconvenience, owing to the violence of the wind, brought alongside the next evening. The following morning was fixed for going to sea.
The Bay of Islands is so large, and its coves are so numerous and extensive, that long as we had been in it, something interesting almost daily presented itself. New rivers were accidentally discovered; villages and people were found in places the most remote, and new acquaintances were hourly made.
To enter into a detail of every thing that occurred to some of the gentlemen, who, as their duties did not require their constant presence in the ship, were led to spend a considerable part of their time among the natives, would occasion repetitions very tiresome to the reader; suffice it to say, that if on our
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arrival the people felt a friendly disposition towards us, it was now considerably increased; mutual confidence was perfectly established; to the hut of the New Zealander and to his humble fare the white man was ever welcome, and, as a guest, his property was sacred from violation.
It is, perhaps, right to observe, that a moderate liberality was always exercised in the distribution of presents, and it was an established rule, not to receive any thing in return; but certainly that liberality was otherwise well repaid, and we had the satisfaction to think, that not only a high degree of respect for the British character was excited among the natives, but that we carried with us, at our departure, their general good wishes, and the sincere and disinterested regret of many individuals.
June 19th, Monday. At daylight we sailed for Wangarooa with a fine breeze at S. W.; but at half-past eight the weather became squally and showery; and at ten, as the ship was passing between the Cavalles Islands and the main, she struck upon a sunken rock,
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and immediately lay down upon her starboard side. The wind was blowing fresh at the time, but as it fortunately came off the land, there was no swell; and when the boats were hoisted out, it was found, that though there were not six feet water on the one side, there were five fathoms on the other. An anchor having been carried out some distance to windward, and hove upon, the ship in a short time was got off and secured.
As she struck on the rock in an oblique direction, the shock was not great, considering the rapid rate at which she was going; and it may easily be imagined how little reason there was to apprehend such an accident, from the circumstance of the men in the chains having sung out, "And a half five," almost at the instant the misfortune happened.
The rock lay opposite the pah of a chief) named Okeeda; and the natives, sensible of our situation, instantly came off in their canoes: they seemed much amused at the confusion natural upon such an occasion, and frequently asked, "why we did not pull away," and "what we stopped so long there for;"
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but the ship was no sooner afloat than they returned to the shore.
The feelings of our friends, Tekokee and his wife, were quite different; they both cried most bitterly; and as the former, in a certain degree, affected to assist in the pilotage of the vessel, by pointing out the deep channel, he seemed to take the whole weight of the calamity upon himself.
At three P. M., every thing having been set to rights, we got under weigh, and at ten anchored off Wangarooa, in eighteen fathoms water.
June 20th, Tuesday. Fine. Soon after the ship had struck upon the rock, a letter was sent on shore to Okeeda's village, and a native was offered a reward to hasten with it to Wangarooa, and deliver it to the carpenter. The man executed his commission the same evening, and having described the Dromedary as lying down and very sick, the carpenter and George set out in a canoe at a late hour, to make the best of their way to her. They were obliged, however, to sleep upon an island opposite the mouth of the harbour, and at
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eight this morning came on board. George wore a white straw hat, which, from its texture, must have been made in New Zealand; in other respects he was dressed like his countrymen, and he appeared studiously to endeavour to ingratiate himself with our people.
The boats were sent in to sound the harbour, preparatory to the ship going in; but at ten the wind sprung up at S. S. W., and blew in very heavy squalls, with rain, during the remainder of the day.
June 21st, Wednesday. Fine. Light winds and variable. In the morning the ship was towed to the heads, and afterwards warped into the harbour, and at seven P. M. anchored off the native fort, or pah.
No canoes came near us during the whole of the day, and when some of the gentlemen, who visited three or four different villages in the afternoon, approached the shore, the natives seemed rather to shun than court their acquaintance; and they were invariably asked when they landed, "what they came for," or "what they wanted."
22d, Thursday. At daylight the anchor
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was weighed, and the ship was warped to the southern side of the pah, where she was moored.
The harbour of Wangarooa, and a considerable part of the surrounding country, belongs to the chief, Teperree, while George's residence is about eight miles to the southward of where the Dromedary anchored, and on the banks of a river called the Kameemy.
In the afternoon we visited the insulated rock, upon which stands the pah of Teperree's tribe. We were accompanied by George; but we had reason to suspect that he and its chief were not on the best terms, from the circumstances of his remaining in the boat when we landed, and his telling us more than once, Teperree "was no good."
We were received with the same reserve as on the day before, and the people asked us the same questions, "what we came for," and "what we wanted;" while the children cried and clung to their mothers when we approached them; nor could any presents induce some of them to come near us.
The ship was surrounded with canoes; and
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an ample supply of vegetables was purchased from the natives for biscuit, for which they traded with the greatest avidity.
June 23d, Friday. George having pointed out a p]ace near his village where the bullocks might be landed, they were sent off in the morning in the launch: he showed no anxiety to accompany them; but as this was necessary, he was very urgent that some of the officers should go with him. Just as he was about to get into the boat, he came in a great hurry on the poop to complain, that a native alongside had told him, that "it was our intention not to molest him, till the arrival of the Coromandel, when the soldiers of both ships were to be landed, and he and his tribe destroyed." He pointed out the author of this story; and, notwithstanding the assurances given him of our peaceable intentions, he went away in apparently low spirits.
At noon, the tide being about half-flood, we rowed to the mouth of the Kameemy, and meeting some wild ducks upon it, we continued to pull up the stream until we found ourselves at George's settlement. The water in many places was so shallow, that, though
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the boat was small, it was necessary to drag it over the shoals for some distance; nor did the launch arrive for a considerable time after. Many cowry trees grew over the steep banks that overhang the river, but they were too short to form part of the ship's cargo; and that part of the forest, whence those of proper size were to be obtained, lay in a deep valley, or ravine, a mile and a quarter to the right. The intermediate ground was at first level, but afterwards undulating and intersected with a swamp and a deep and rapid brook. The hill under which the trees grew thickest was steep; but it was thought that the spars, when cut and lightened by being trimmed, might be hove to the top of it, by means of a capstan, and dragged to the water's edge by the ten bullocks, with the united strength of the natives and the crew. It was therefore proposed to make a road from the wood to the river, to build a bridge over the brook, and to fill up the swamp with fascines. Having left the boat, and walked to the village with George, we were conducted by him to Tippooi, his elder brother, and, of
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course, the greater chief. We found this person seated at the door of his hut, dressed in new mats, painted and decorated with feathers, and the whole of the tribe arranged in a similar position on a rising ground to his right, so as to show their numbers off to the best advantage. They seemed to be perfectly under his control, and during the time we remained in conversation with him, not one of them attempted to approach us.
Tippooi's house was one of the largest we had seen in the country; it was quite new; and when he showed us into it, he remarked "that he had built it for the white men who might be sent to work in the woods."
It was now so late that it seemed almost impracticable to reach the ship that night: the launch and its crew were gone some time; and not having come with the intention of sleeping out, we told George that we must go. This arrangement seemed to annoy him very much; and, when we ultimately agreed to remain with him during the night, he appeared much pleased, and thanked us for having complied with his invitation.
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He was now all attention in getting us something to eat, and collecting reeds for our beds; nor would he allow any of his people to come into our hut without permission.
The pah of this tribe is on a circular hill, steep and difficult of ascent. It stands in the middle of a valley, through which the river Kameemy makes many windings.
The ground is generally under cultivation, producing potatoes, degenerated turnips [see Note 13.], and cabbages, while the surrounding hills, which, from their height and diversity of shape, form a very splendid piece of scenery, are covered with wood; and the cowry, whose loftiness and richness of foliage distinguishes it from the other trees of the forest, grows in great abundance.
The houses of the natives were generally at the foot of the pah; near its summit, three of the carronades of the Boyd were planted, and three others and an anchor, lay on the banks of the river.
Though George, personally, was one of the most attentive chiefs we had met, still, there
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was something singularly cautious, mistrustful, and uncomfortable in his manner.
In the middle of some of his most animated conversations, his utterance seemed suddenly paralysed, and he observed the countenances of those about him with the most anxious suspicions; while at other times, breaking off the subject he was upon, he would enter into a detail of the different arrangements which he understood us to have made for his destruction; placing a number of little sticks upon the ground, and endeavouring with them to designate the manner in which the soldiers were to act in massacring himself, his brothers, and his tribe. He spoke a very little English, and remembered some verses of the popular British songs, which he had learned during his service in one of our ships. An allusion to the attack upon the Boyd was more than once made; but he declared that he was sick at the time, and that he was not present at the transaction.
In the course of the evening, he brought his children into the hut, and requested that the eldest, a boy about seven years old, might
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remain on board the ship; a proposition which was readily assented to, and every care promised to be taken of him.
After George retired from our hut for the night, he addressed a speech to his tribe, which lasted at least two hours. At times his action was so violent, that he became almost unable to articulate, and he was obliged, occasionally, to pause, to recover himself; but, notwithstanding his agitation, his deportment, whether standing or pacing up and down the circle, was commanding and unembarrassed, and he was heard by the audience who sat round him with unwearied attention.
We lamented that we had not an interpreter, in whom we could confide, to explain the purport of his long harangue; but we could not help admiring in this instance, as we had in many others, the free-born confidence with which these people communicate their sentiments to one another; the natural ease and gracefulness of their carriage; and the marked silence and deference with which they are heard.
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June 24th, Saturday. At an early hour we took leave of George, and returned to the ship. From the time she came into the harbour, Teperree, the chief of the tribe, residing immediately in the neighbourhood of the anchorage, was, in general, on board. Seeing this morning some of the men heaving at the capstan, he hastened to their assistance; and, after going a few turns round in high spirits, he was not a little surprised to find that the result of the labour in which he was assisting was one of the forecastle guns, which began to show itself above the hatchway, -- a sight which so disconcerted him, that he instantly retired.
To prevent the ship from being top-heavy during her passage from the Bay of Islands, some of the guns had been put into the hold; they were now to be restored to their proper places; and Teperree found himself unwittingly lending his strength to the adjustment of, an engine, which, according to his suspicions of our purpose in coming to his harbour, was ultimately destined for the destruction of his tribe.
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June 25th, Sunday. In the afternoon, Tippooi, George's brother, accompanied by his wife and two children, paid us a visit,
26th, Monday. A boat went to examine the wreck of the Boyd, and succeeded in unshipping the rudder, which was sent on board. The wood was perfectly sound, and the copper appendages serviceable.
28th, Wednesday. In the morning George came on board, and, contrary to his usual custom of stopping to speak with those whom he met, he hurried down below, and went through the ship with rapid anxiety. It was supposed he had heard of the guns being replaced in their carriages, and that the circumstance had excited his suspicions, for having examined the ship very minutely, he resumed his composure: this was but a temporary calm.
A girl of his tribe, who had been some days in the ship with one of the men, had taken, contrary to the knowledge of her protector, a string of beads, which she gave to George, and which he tied round his neck; while the real owner, recognising his property, asked
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him, as he positively declared, in a very civil manner to return it. Some one a few minutes before had been so thoughtless as to give him a glass of grog, the effects of which, added to the supposed insult of demanding the beads, threw him into such a violent rage, that, stripping off his clothes, he rushed upon deck, ordered every one of his family instantly to go down into his canoe, which was alongside, and declared his intention forthwith to go and drive the carpenter and the white men out of the woods, and not to give the vessel a single spar.
The confusion among his family, most of whom were women and children, was immense: the presents they had received, as to clothing or any thing else, he deprived them of, and flung them upon the capstan, not forgetting his own hat and shirt, upon which a few moments before he set the highest value; and, taking a rope's end, applied it without distinction of sex to those of his tribe who seemed at all dilatory in obeying his orders. During this scene he ran up and down the deck, nearly naked, exclaiming
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"Me gentleman!" and exhibiting in action and countenance the most violent and savage ferocity.
The storm, however, subsided almost as rapidly as it came on; his senses seemed suddenly to return to him; and, ordering his family below, he declared that all was a shenerica, or humbug, and that he did not mean any harm by what he did. A short time after, having resumed his clothes, he appeared upon the deck with the man who had accidentally been the cause of the tumult, and, taking him by the arm, used every effort to convince the bystanders that he had forgot the injury.
June 29th, Thursday. In the afternoon, Tippooi arrived with a spar. His wife and child had been two or three days on board, and when she came on the deck to meet her husband, for some reason which we could not discover, he instantly struck her. They appeared, however, in a few minutes, to be perfectly good friends.
30th, Friday. In the morning, George,
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Tippooi, and their families, took their departure, apparently satisfied with their reception.
In the Bay of Islands such had been the want of moral restraint among the natives, that fathers and mothers, whether chiefs or not, took their daughters to the ship, and handed them over to whoever chose to receive them, without any stipulation as to the reward they might receive, or any reference to the condition of the person to whom they were consigned. The custom here was different. The females were exhibited in fewer numbers, and their relatives manifested an avidity for lucre, in proposing conditions on which they would permit them to visit the ship.
Tippooi, who trafficked in this way to some extent, had left a girl on board, whom he seemed to value so highly that her purchaser had paid more than the usual stipend for her. The latter, considering himself perfectly safe in the possession of his property, was not a little surprised by the appearance of the carpenter in the evening, who came down express from George's village to say, that the moment
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Tippooi arrived there, a violent quarrel had ensued between him and his brother Ehoodoo; that every one of the natives had abandoned their work, and declared their determination not to return to it until the woman Tippooi had left on board was restored. She was, of course, given up, and desired to quit the ship at daylight the next morning.
