Chav. VII. VOYAGE TO NELSON. 177 
CHAPTER VII. 
Voyage to Nelson — Blind Bay — Nelson Haven — Site of Nelson — 
Gaiety of the landing-place — The infant town — Quail — Cli- 
mate — Calm weather — Cattle — Coal and limestone — Selection 
of lands — Native Reserves — Colonizing character of the Nelson 
Gentry — Captain Arthur "Wakefield — His name among the Na- 
tives — Dr. Imlay, of Twofold Bay. 
On the 30th, the Martha Ridgway, a large ship from 
London with immigrants for Nelson, anchored at 
Point Halswell ; and the Captain came in to receive 
his orders from the Company's Agent and his con- 
signees in Wellington. Being offered a passage by 
one of these gentlemen, who was himself going over 
in the ship, I packed up a small kit, and went on 
board with him in the pilot-boat. 
We sailed on the evening of the 31st. The wind 
favouring us, we were only 28 hours from our anchor- 
age in Port Nicholson to the bottom of Blind Bay ; 
where we anchored, in consequence of the darkness 
and hazy weather, in eight fathoms. We had been 
accompanied through the Strait by two large ships 
and a coasting schooner. The ships had discharged 
immigrants, and were bound to Nelson ; where two 
other vessels, now discharging there, were to join 
them, in order to sail in company through Torres' 
Straits towards India and China. 
After rounding Cape Stephens, we had made out 
clearly the entrance of Port Hardy, the southern 
mouth of the French Pass, which separates D'Urville's 
Island from the main, the islets at the mouth of 
Croisille's Harbour, and the bluff promontory formed 
VOL. II. N 
