Besides Bad Weather, She Had To Contend With Further
Misfortunes, For Three Casks Of Water In The Hold - Part Of
The supply for
the voyage - were found to have leaked entirely away, and the allowance of
fuel ran so short
That her Commander was forced to cut up one of the top
masts for firewood.
Situated thus, Lieutenant Symons decided to bear away for New Zealand and
to return later to Norfolk Island, when it was hoped the weather would
have moderated sufficiently to enable him to land his passengers. On the
3rd of June he made Three Kings Island, and two days afterwards North
Cape. He then steered alongside as far as Cape Brett in the Bay of
Islands. On coming to an anchorage in a small bay on the north-west side
of the River Thames, nearly two hundred natives surrounded the brig and
were welcomed on board. They brought with them potatoes, and other
vegetables, as well as mats and native curios to barter for nails,
buttons, etc. At sunset they left the vessel. On the following morning
the Commander went on shore and the natives following him quickly found
him a watering place. On being offered a pig by one of the Maoris in
exchange for a new razor, he accepted it, but a chief afterwards
requested him to return the animal (as it had been a present from Captain
Rhodes)* (* Captain Rhodes of the Alexander South Sea Whaler, traded with
New Zealand.) and it was immediately given back to its former owner.
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