Cheeseman.— Notes on the Three Kings Islands. 145 



already mentioned, were thought to be all or nearly all the 

 inhabitants of the island. Our "people saw no trees, nor did 

 they observe any cultivated land, except that near the fresh 

 water there were some square plots of ground, green, and very 

 pleasant ; but of what kind the greens were they could not dis- 

 tinguish. Two canoes were drawn up on the shore. 



" In the evening we anchored in 40 fathoms, good ground, a 

 musket-shot distant from the island (on the north side). 



" The 6th, in the morning, we put water-casks in the two 

 boats, and sent them to the shore. As they rowed towards the 

 land, they saw tall men standing in different places, with long 

 staves like pikes in their hands, who called to our people. 

 There was much surf at the watering place, which made landing 

 difficult ; and between a point of the island and another very 

 high cliff, or little island, the current ran so strong against the 

 boats that they could scarcely stem it : for which reasons the 

 officers held counsel together, and not being willing to expose 

 the boats and the people, they returned to the ships. Before 

 we saw them coming back, we had fired a gun and hoisted a 

 flag as a signal for them to return. This island we named Drie 

 Koningen Eyland, i.e., Three Kings Island (on account of this 

 being the day of the Epiphany)." 



From the number of Natives seen by Tasman, and from the 

 fact that patches of cultivated ground were observed, we may 

 take it for granted that the islands had permanent residents at 

 the time of his visit. But they must have been subsequently 

 abandoned, for all the voyagers immediately after Cook speak of 

 them as being uninhabited ; one or two, however, stating that 

 the Maoris were in the habit of crossing from the mainland, at 

 long intervals, to obtain young mutton-birds or gannets. In 

 1816, the ship Betsey, commanded by Captain Goodenough, was 

 wrecked near the North Cape, and the greater portion of the 

 crew were drowned. The survivors, nine in number, took refuge 

 on the Three Kings, being driven from the mainland by the 

 threatening conduct of the Maoris. They lived there for some 

 time, and saw no appearance of the islands having been in- 

 habited for many years past. Somewhere about 1830, however, 

 a number of Maoris belonging to the Aopuri tribe crossed over 

 and took up their residence on the islands. They were led by a 

 well-known chief, who in his younger days had spent some 

 time in a whaling vessel, and had received the nick-name of Tom 

 Bowline. He, with his wife and immediate followers, remained 

 on the islands for many years, and had several children born 

 there. From a paragraph in the " Missionary Register " for 

 1836, it appears that the Bev. Mr. Puckey visited the Three 

 Kings in October, 1835, being induced to go there through 

 hearing a report that the inhabitants were starving. He found 

 them almost in a state of destitution, and offered to bring them 



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