Hunter

In 1798, while crew from the ship Hunter were on the Thames River procuring timber, four crew including Thomas Taylor deserted.  Unlike the barren infertile land of New South Wales, the islands of New Zealand offered dense forests filled with massive trees that produced exceptional timber. The wood was ideal not only for repairing whale ships, but also as a source of material for building in Port Jackson. To obtain timber captains had to first seek permission of the resident tribe’s chief, and when they failed to do so or were ignorant of local culture, the repercussions proved deadly.