✨ Maritime Survey Report
NEW ZEALAND
GOVERNMENT GAZETTE.
(PROVINCE OF WELLINGTON.)
Published by Authority.
All Public Notifications which appear in this Gazette, with any Official Signature thereunto annexed, are to be considered as Official communications made to those Persons to whom they may relate, and are to be obeyed accordingly.
By His Honor’s command,
WILLIAM FITZHERBERT, Provincial Secretary.
[No. 11.] SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 1854.
Provincial Secretary’s Office,
Wellington, 25th May, 1854.
AT the request of His Excellency the Officer administering the Government, His Honor the Superintendent directs the publication of the accompanying letter from Captain Drury, of H.M.S. Pandora, with its enclosures, for general information.
By His Honor’s command,
WILLIAM FITZHERBERT,
Provincial Secretary.
H.M. Surveying Vessel Pandora,
Pelorus River, Cook’s Strait,
13th February, 1854.
SIR,—I have the honor to transmit through you to His Excellency Colonel Wynyard, for general information, Sailing Directions for the Navigation of the East Coast of the North Island, between Turanga (Poverty Bay) North of Hawke’s Bay, and the Kati-Kati, North of the Bay of Plenty, with the adjacent islands and reefs.
A very fine season has permitted a general examination of all that is requisite in determining the extent and position of off-laying dangers; and having carefully investigated every report as to rocks and shoals, gathered from the Europeans and Natives along the coast, I have every reason to hope that this report will render the approach to these shores as easy as circumstances admit.
The Pandora has been employed a portion of two seasons on this part of the Survey, and officers have walked the whole line of country on the Coast; and it affords me much pleasure in stating, that on all occasions they have received kind assistance and hospitality from the Missionaries so characteristic of their vocation.
From the coasting traders (and I may especially mention Captain Ellis of the Eliza), we have received much valuable information.
The Natives have uniformly been very hospitable when occasion really required it: but at rivers in the Bay of Plenty, where no European was within reach, their exorbitant demands for crossing a few yards in their canoes were found a great source of annoyance and delay; it would be a great boon to travellers if some general understanding upon this point could be made with the various tribes on the coast, for the only difficulties our travellers met with may be comprehended in being at the mercy of the Natives on such occasions.
Should our detached Survey on the West Coast have successfully completed the examination of the Ports between Manukau and Taranaki, I think that in connexion with the Acheron’s Survey, the Northern Island has been fairly examined, and all the charts are now completed, excepting such soundings along the coast as opportunity will admit of.
I have, &c.,
BYRON DRURY,
Commander and Surveyor.
The Honorable
The Colonial Secretary,
Auckland.
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Wellington Provincial Gazette 1854, No 11
✨ LLM interpretation of page content
🏛️ Publication of Sailing Directions for the East Coast of the North Island
🏛️ Governance & Central Administration25 May 1854
Maritime survey, Sailing directions, East Coast, North Island, Navigation
- Byron Drury (Commander and Surveyor), Submitted sailing directions
- Ellis (Captain), Provided valuable information
- William Fitzherbert, Provincial Secretary
- Byron Drury, Commander and Surveyor