Andersen. — Mission of the " Britomart " at Akaroa. 83 



Stanley, left Sydney on the 17th Jime, 1840, and came to anchor at Koro- 

 rareka, or Bay of Islands, on the afternoon of the 2nd July, H.M.S. '' Herald" 

 having worked into the bay just ahead of her. She lay in the bay for nine 

 days, "cutting brooms," watering, &c., imtil on Saturday, the 11th July, 

 " arrived the French ship of war ' L'Aube,' and revenue cutter ' Ranger,' 

 with the Governor. Saluted the French flag with 21 guns." Routine work 

 went on as before, but on the 22nd the company of the " Britomart " was 

 employed making preparations for sea. The log of the following day, 

 commencing at midnight on the 22nd, is interesting : " 2 a.m. received 

 on board per order of his Excellency Lieutenant-Governor Hobson, 

 Mr. Murphy and Mr. Robinson, magistrates ; 8, loosed sail, short'd in 

 cable ; 11 weighed and made sail. Working out of Kororareka Harbour ; 

 tacked occasionally." The vessel was busy all the afternoon working out of 

 the Bay of Islands, and at daylight on the 24th Cape Brett lay on the lee 

 bow distant ten or twelve miles. The passage to Akaroa was a' thoroughly 

 bad one, and the ship suffered considerably from the knocking-about she 

 received. At midday on the 25th, the first day out, the vessel was off the 

 Great Barrier. The following morning the foretopmast was found to be 

 chafed through, and in the afternoon the foretopsail was split. On the 

 27th much time was occupied in bending new sails ; in the afternoon two 

 ports were stove in by the heavy sea. Cape Wareka [? Wharekahika] was 

 218 miles distant at noon on the 28th. On the 29th and 30th there was a 

 heavy head swell, which made the 120 miles to East Cape a good deal more. 

 However, the wind veered round, and the " Britomart " rounded East 

 Cape before midnight on the 31st. In the afternoon the hold had 14 in. 

 of water, and thereafter the pumps were going almost continuously. On 

 the 2nd August " Akoroa " was 306 miles distant, and there were 17 in. 

 and 18 in. of water in the hold through the afternoon. At 2 o'clock on the 

 morning of the 3rd a sea was shipped which stove in the lee quarter boat 

 and washed away a port. The ship was twelve miles farther from her 

 destination, at noon on the 4th than on the previous day. Again, in the 

 early morning of the 5th,. a sea stove in a weather port. Land was seen on 

 the port bow at 10 a.m. on the 6th ; it was somewhere near Flat Point, 

 or Te Awaite, in the North Island. In the afternoon the sea split the 

 foretopm'ast-staysail. Next day the weather moderated, and sea-water was 

 pumped into the empty tanks. Land showed on the lee bow at 7 in the 

 evening, and next n^orning, the 8th, Cape Palliser was four or five leagues 

 distant. On the morning of the 9th, Sunday, the crew was mustered and 

 the Articles of War were read. This was a proceeding of quite a routine 

 nature. There was land on the beam, and a run of eighty-three miles to 

 Akaroa. This is the narrative of the 10th : " 4 a.m. bore up for the land ; 

 12.30 calm, with a heavy swell ; out sweeps and swept ship ; 1.30 a breeze 

 from the nor'ward ; in sweeps, trimmed and swept into the harbour ; 4.30 

 shortened sail and came to with S.B. in 6| fathoms ; furled sails, &c." 

 At daylight on the 11th the boats were out and the ship was made snug. 

 There is no reference to any, incident outside the ordinary routine of the 

 ship. On the 12th the boats were sent out to survey and cut wood, and 

 they were so employed for the next few days, completing on Friday, 14th. 

 On the following day, 15th August: " 5 p.m., sent boats to assist towing 

 the French ship-of-war 'L'Aube ' ; 8, anchored do." Sunday was marked 

 with the usual Divine service. On Monday, 17th : " — p.m., arrived the 

 French ship (merchant) ' Count de Paris,' witli> emigrants. Lent the cutter 

 with a party to haul the seine." There is nothing but routine entries until 

 the 22nd, when the company was employed making preparations for sea. 



