Prince of Denmark
In 1825, Captain William Stewart took a trading and sealing voyage around the islands of New Zealand on the Prince of Denmark. When he returned to Sydney he had a cargo of several hundred seal skins, but more importantly, he had arrived back at the colony with grand designs of beginning his own settlement.
Evidently his enthusiasm was infectious, and within a short space of time he had enlisted a group of colonists to sail with him to begin a new life on Stewart Island. On the way, Captain Stewart called into the Bay of Islands on Prince of Denmark. By now, many Europeans had begun to live at Kororareka, and Captain Stewart managed to convince several of them to join his party in setting up a timber and ship building enterprise at Port Pegasus. Among the men were William Cook, John Lee, Hugh McCurdy, Robert Day, and Ben Turner. Captain Stewart’s settlement never got off the ground, and the ship builders were stranded there for nine years during which time they built the vessel Joseph Weller, and sold it to the Weller brothers. The money from the ship enabled them to get back to Sydney and from there finally back to their homes in the Bay of Islands in 1834. Captain Stewart claimed he had no way of returning for the men, having lost all of his money after sailing back to Sydney in 1826 to deliver a cargo of seal skins and flax.
In 1829, Prince of Denmark was back in New Zealand water on another sealing and speculative trip, this time under the command of Captain Skelton. In June of the following year, Skelton delivered a cargo of floor boards and flax to Sydney along with Samuel Marsden.
Prince of Denmark’s next captain was Captain Jack, who embarked on a trading voyage to the Cook Strait region. When he arrived back in Sydney Captain Jack reported that there was no lack of flax, but the Maori would not trade for it. His cargo included 21 live pigs and half a ton of pork.
The following month Captain Jack sailed Prince of Denmark back to New Zealand and was on hand at Tauranga when Vittoria struck rocks. Tools from Prince of Denmark were used to help repair the stricken vessel. Captain Jack’s cargo when he arrived back in Sydney at the end of 1832 was 40 tons of flax and whalebone.
Evidently his enthusiasm was infectious, and within a short space of time he had enlisted a group of colonists to sail with him to begin a new life on Stewart Island. On the way, Captain Stewart called into the Bay of Islands on Prince of Denmark. By now, many Europeans had begun to live at Kororareka, and Captain Stewart managed to convince several of them to join his party in setting up a timber and ship building enterprise at Port Pegasus. Among the men were William Cook, John Lee, Hugh McCurdy, Robert Day, and Ben Turner. Captain Stewart’s settlement never got off the ground, and the ship builders were stranded there for nine years during which time they built the vessel Joseph Weller, and sold it to the Weller brothers. The money from the ship enabled them to get back to Sydney and from there finally back to their homes in the Bay of Islands in 1834. Captain Stewart claimed he had no way of returning for the men, having lost all of his money after sailing back to Sydney in 1826 to deliver a cargo of seal skins and flax.
In 1829, Prince of Denmark was back in New Zealand water on another sealing and speculative trip, this time under the command of Captain Skelton. In June of the following year, Skelton delivered a cargo of floor boards and flax to Sydney along with Samuel Marsden.
Prince of Denmark’s next captain was Captain Jack, who embarked on a trading voyage to the Cook Strait region. When he arrived back in Sydney Captain Jack reported that there was no lack of flax, but the Maori would not trade for it. His cargo included 21 live pigs and half a ton of pork.
The following month Captain Jack sailed Prince of Denmark back to New Zealand and was on hand at Tauranga when Vittoria struck rocks. Tools from Prince of Denmark were used to help repair the stricken vessel. Captain Jack’s cargo when he arrived back in Sydney at the end of 1832 was 40 tons of flax and whalebone.