 | The Rosanna Settlers, by Hilda McDonnell
The Rosanna voyage |
| Contents: introduction | chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Journal | Sources | |
When the New Zealand Company’s stores were about to be sold, an advertisement was placed in the Sydney Gazette of 6 March 1827. This showed the kind of equipment the Rosanna settlers brought with them to New Zealand:John Paul begs leave to inform his Friends and the Public, that he has purchased the whole of the Implements imported by the Directors of the New Zealand Company; also, a large Bell, Blacksmiths’ Forges, all kinds of Kitchen Utensils, Cutlery, Turner’s Lath[e]s, Corn Mills, ec, ec.Again on 10 March 1827: FOR SALE, the undermentioned GOODS, imported on the New Zealand Company’s Ship Rosanna, Captain HERD:-The barque Rosanna, 25 tons, built at Stockton in 1823 was registered at the port of Dundee in the name of G. Lyall. The Lambton, a schooner of 61 tons, was built at Cowes, Isle of Wight, in 1825 for the New Zealand Company. The Rosanna (Captain Herd) left London on 27 August 1825 for “New South Wales, Ec.” The Rosanna arrived at the Downs on 30 August and left the same day. It arrived at Torbay on 5 September and was presumed to have left on 13 September. According to Lloyds shipping register the Lambton left Cowes on 2 September for the same destination. On the long voyage to New Zealand the Rosanna is known to have touched at Tristan da Cunha. When the ship reached the Snares, the landmark islands to the south-west of New Zealand, the women as well as the men went ashore. The arrival of the Rosanna settlers in New Zealand was eventually relayed elsewhere. The Hobart Town Gazette 10 June 1826 reported in its shipping news: Captain Lovitt of the schooner Sally brings intelligence that the ship Rosanna, Captain Herd (who had navigated the ship Providence now in the harbour on her former voyage to this Colony), and a cutter, had arrived with settlers on account of the new Company which has obtained a charter to settle in New Zealand. Both vessels were provided with arms, and intended to cruise, for the protection of the settlers, and to fish, for the space of three years. Captain Stewart, of the ship Prince of Denmark, had also arrived from England, and had commenced his settlement on his own or Stewart’s island. When the Sally left Stewart Island the schooner Alligator, (Captn Fairlie) sailed for Easy bay on the south coast, and the Samuel (Captn Drysdale), had just arrived from the Auckland Islands. The Elizabeth and Mary (Captain Worth) had sailed for Sydney and the Elizabeth (Captain Kent) was setting sail for Chatham Island. The Sally left New Zealand for Hobart Town on 9 May 1826.They had lost a boat crew at Macquaire Island early in their voyage. One of the crew of the Sally who returned to Hobart Town with Captain Lovitt was Edwin Palmer (born 1804). As an old man he and his brother William spoke in 1879 to Dr Thomas Hocken about the Sally voyage and Dr Hocken made hurried notes: …to Queen Charlotte’s Sound. Beginning of Feb/26. Rauperaha came out with canoes locally manned with natives who had come across from Kapiti to war with South natives…Then came down south…Pegasus Bay in Stewarts Island – there found English ship (‘Rosetta” King Capt. I think) with a cutter tender with emigrants bound for the Thames. Also another (Stewart Captain) belonging to – which had come from Bay of Islands with Maoris and woodworkers to build a vessel (60 tons, Joseph Weller, after Mr W. of Otago) which was well got on with. ‘Rosetta’ called in at Otago on way to Thames but found natives so numerous that they were frightened to land – though I believe a few did – so they went to S. [Sydney] Australia. |