Mermaid
Few whaleships had reportedly visited New Zealand waters before the arrival of Mermaid in 1796. While sailing off the coast of the South Island, her crew caught sight of the majestic snowcovered Kaikoura Mountains. They were in pursuit of the whales that are still celebrated and admired in Kaikoura today.
The next arrival of a ship called Mermaid to New Zealand was not for almost a quarter of a century, when Captain JR Kent sailed his vessel into the Bay of Islands. This Mermaid arrived from Hawaii where Kent had been trading, and she sailed in company with Cossack. From New Zealand Kent continued on to Sydney, but he was soon back across the Tasman trading around the South Island in 1823. Mermaid also transferred the white chief James Caddell back to New Zealand from a flax trading visit. When Mermaid returned to Sydney her cargo was flax preserved in salt water.
In July 1824, Captain Busby was at the helm of Mermaid when she helped refloat Elizabeth Henrietta and her former captain at Stewart Island before sailing back to Sydney with another cargo of flax.
The next arrival of a ship called Mermaid to New Zealand was not for almost a quarter of a century, when Captain JR Kent sailed his vessel into the Bay of Islands. This Mermaid arrived from Hawaii where Kent had been trading, and she sailed in company with Cossack. From New Zealand Kent continued on to Sydney, but he was soon back across the Tasman trading around the South Island in 1823. Mermaid also transferred the white chief James Caddell back to New Zealand from a flax trading visit. When Mermaid returned to Sydney her cargo was flax preserved in salt water.
In July 1824, Captain Busby was at the helm of Mermaid when she helped refloat Elizabeth Henrietta and her former captain at Stewart Island before sailing back to Sydney with another cargo of flax.