Sisters
Captain Robert Duke anchored Sisters at the Bay of Islands for nine days in September 1823. The English three-master was back in the Bay for an extended stay the following autumn.
Sisters made another visit in January 1825 and then returned to England. Robert Duke was still at the helm when Sisters arrived at the Bay of Islands on Boxing Day 1826. Duke’s first mate was a man already well known in New Zealand waters, Philip Tapsell. By the time they reached the Bay of Islands, they had been back in the south sea fisheries long enough to take on 1300 barrels of oil.
It was during this visit to the Bay that the crew of Sisters used her guns to retake the ship Wellington from a group of convicts who had seized it while being transported to Norfolk Island. Captain Duke’s ship accompanied Wellington back to Sydney, delivering the convicts to a fate worse than they might have suffered at Norfolk Island.
Sisters and Captain Duke continued to work the south sea fisheries for several years, calling at the Bay of Islands in February 1829, and arriving in Sydney in April 1833 with 190 tons of sperm oil.
Sisters made another visit in January 1825 and then returned to England. Robert Duke was still at the helm when Sisters arrived at the Bay of Islands on Boxing Day 1826. Duke’s first mate was a man already well known in New Zealand waters, Philip Tapsell. By the time they reached the Bay of Islands, they had been back in the south sea fisheries long enough to take on 1300 barrels of oil.
It was during this visit to the Bay that the crew of Sisters used her guns to retake the ship Wellington from a group of convicts who had seized it while being transported to Norfolk Island. Captain Duke’s ship accompanied Wellington back to Sydney, delivering the convicts to a fate worse than they might have suffered at Norfolk Island.
Sisters and Captain Duke continued to work the south sea fisheries for several years, calling at the Bay of Islands in February 1829, and arriving in Sydney in April 1833 with 190 tons of sperm oil.