168 ADVENTURE IN NEW ZEALAND. Chap. VI. 
Wellington in support of the Government, and in 
opposition to the Company. It was got up by sub- 
scription. The Crown Prosecutor was sole Editor ; and 
another " feverish " attorney figured among the share- 
holders. The original newspaper had for some time 
been issued twice a-week. From this time the columns 
of both partook largely of the tediousness of a contro- 
versy between two country papers of opposite politics. 
The Crown Prosecutor's bantling expired, in a state 
of insolvency, about a year afterwards. 
The Brougham returned about the middle of March. 
In going through the French Pass, she had been 
swept by the violent tide which rushes through that 
narrow channel on to a shoal not marked in the 
French charts, which were the only ones yet existing 
of that part of the coast. At low tide she had been 
left on the ledge almost on her beam-ends ; but after 
some trouble she was got off with but little injury, and 
reached Nelson in safety. My uncle gave me an 
amusing description of the confusion produced by the 
accident; four pack-bullocks in the hold belonging to 
the Company having tumbled over a blood mare from 
England belonging to Mr. Thompson. 
The Brougham had also bumped on a rock in the 
north entrance of Astrolabe Roads, unknown before 
the visit of the Nelson expedition thither ; but, being 
an old teak-built Calcutta pilot-vessel, she had received 
no injury. The accounts from Nelson and New 
Plymouth were most favourable. The settlers were 
described as universally energetic, contented, and san- 
guine as to early success. 
An emigrant vessel, arrived at Taranaki, had laid 
down moorings, sent out by the Company, fit to hold 
a ship of 600 tons in any weather. With this security, 
and some excellent surf-boats, also provided by the 
