The Chief is described as being 5 feet 11 1/2 inches
high, stout and athletic looking, and about forty-six years of age. His
face was completely tattooed. Among other things, King writes of him that
he was "a constant attendant at Divine Service," and he adds, "he had a
contempt of the Australian aborigine."
The Reverend Samuel Marsden, then chaplain in Sydney, became intimately
acquainted with Tippahee, and he, too, states that he found him "a man of
very superior understanding and capable of receiving any instruction. His
companions also manifested strong mental faculties." When the Maoris had
remained in the colony as long as they wished - by that time becoming
familiar figures to all the citizens of Sydney - the Governor gave
instructions for the Lady Nelson to be fitted up to convey them back to
their own country. Before their departure they were loaded with presents
by the Governor and other friends, the gifts being carefully packed in
chests and put on board the brig. On this voyage Governor King also
ordered some bricks and the framework of a house for New Zealand to be
received as part of the cargo.
On February 25th, Tippahee and his sons bade farewell to New South Wales
and their numerous friends there, and on their going on board, the Lady
Nelson immediately set sail for the Bay of Islands.
During the voyage the Chief was taken ill and Mr. Symons ordered a young
man named George Bruce to nurse him. So well did Bruce carry out his
duties, that Tippahee afterwards requested that he might be allowed to
remain in New Zealand.* (* The request was granted, and Bruce was
afterwards given Tippahee's daughter in marriage. How badly the pair were
treated by the captain of a British vessel, which called at New Zealand
to refit, is told in the Sydney Gazette, which states that Bruce and his
wife were carried away from New Zealand in the Wellesley, first to Fiji
and afterwards to Malacca, where Bruce was left behind. His wife was
taken on to Penang, but on his making a complaint to the commanding
officer at Malacca, that gentleman warmly espoused Bruce's cause and sent
him to Bengal, where the authorities extended him aid, and eventually his
wife was restored to him.)
The Chief's illness may have been an attack of sea-sickness, due to the
roughness of the passage, as the log records that the weather was very
squally.
On March 2nd the Lady Nelson made a great deal of water and had to be
pumped out. The vessel still remained in a leaky state, and this
drawback, in conjunction with the cross currents and heavy gales that she
encountered, greatly retarded her progress.
A succession of gales followed, consequently the land of New Zealand was
not sighted until March 30th, when at noon it was observed for the first
time, trending from east-south-east to north-east.
At eight o'clock in the evening a prominent cape was seen eight miles
distant, which Symons records was North-West Cape (or Cape Maria Van
Diemen). At eleven the ship hauled round to the eastward and hove to.
Native fires were seen burning on land. Next morning at six o'clock the
Lady Nelson made sail and stood in shore, and as she made her appearance
she was met by two native canoes, but perceiving that the coast was very
rocky and a gale arising the commander stood to the westward, Tunitico
then being east-south-east half a mile. At five o'clock in the afternoon
he again endeavoured to anchor, and the Lady Nelson was brought to in a
bay "in 15 fathoms of water, sand and shells." Five canoes came
alongside, and as the Maoris appeared very friendly a boat-load of wood
and of water was obtained.
Working his way round the coast, which he says he could not "fetch," on
April 3rd Lieutenant Symons made all sail for a bay to the south-east,
and in the evening the ship came to anchorage, being then eleven leagues
from North Cape. Of this place her Commander writes, "There are three
islands laying to the south-east by north; one to the north which will
break off all sail from this point of the compass. One of these islands
is very thinly inhabited." The boat was lowered to sound between the
island and the main, as a reef was perceived running out astern, and the
soundings gave ten to five fathoms. At ten o'clock on April 4th the Lady
Nelson again weighed and made sail to work to windward, and at eleven
came to in eight fathoms of water - the bottom being "fine sand and
shells."
At four o'clock two canoes containing only three men came alongside the
ship, and early on the following morning three New Zealand Chiefs from
the Island of Titteranee, friends of Tippahee, came to welcome their
countryman on his return.
On the Island of Titteranee the natives were very friendly. One of their
number, who had spent some time at Norfolk Island, came on board,* (* He
was named Tookee.) and the Chiefs supplied the ship with a quantity of
fish, for which Lieutenant Symons gave them bread in exchange. During the
vessel's stay, the Chiefs of Titteranee were not only constant visitors,
but some appear to have remained altogether in the ship. Possibly the
Commander saw a little too much of Tippahee and his friends, as while the
boats were on shore cutting brooms and obtaining water, the former was
exceedingly troublesome on board - two or three times causing a
disturbance by lifting up weapons and threatening the seamen at their
work.
