Early Shipping in New Zealand waters

Independence II
Independence II was an American whaling ship from Nantucket that called at New Zealand while on a whaling cruise in the early 1820s. Her first visit was in August 1820 when Captain Barrett anchored her in Paroa Bay, in the Bay of Islands. The following March she was back again and her crew had taken 800 barrels of oil from the fishery. When Independence II next arrived at the Bay of Islands in December 1821, Captain Barrett had died at sea and Plaskett had taken his place. Independence II sailed for home from New Zealand on 20 December 1821 and after arriving back safely, reported having left Harriet, Mary Ann, Arab and Ann.

Indian
The London whaleship Indian was a regular visitor to New Zealand during the 1820’s. Having left England in August 1817 under Captain William Swaine, she arrived at the Bay of Islands the following April, after falling in with another whaler, Foxhound. During this visit, Captain Swain dined onboard Foxhound with Captain Watson and the Christian missionaries Kendall, King and Hall. In August Indian called at Port Jackson, Sydney Cove, to unload a speculative cargo of Porters Ale, soap and slop clothing. In September she set sail for the fishery again, still in company with Foxhound. Both ships had already secured a quantity of whale oil. In May 1819 Captain Watson of Foxhound reported that Indian had taken 260 tons of oil. Indian then headed back to London where Captain Swaine left the ship and was replaced by another famous whaling man, Silas West.

West sailed Indian from England in September 1819 and the ship arrived at the Bay of Islands, New Zealand in February 1820. While Indian was anchored at Paroa Bay, the naval ship HMS Dromedary arrived and Indian's crew rowed over to greet the ship. The following month Indian sailed for the fishery again, this time in company with the ill fated whaler Echo. Indian made several visits to the Bay of Islands during 1820 and while there in August, Chief Officer Wilson died of apparent “miserable intemperance”. One of the Christian missionaries buried him in his garden at Oihi and nine boat loads of crew from four ships formed a solemn funeral procession across the bay to attend the burial. A very early resident of the Bay of Islands, salt maker James Boyle, used one of Indian’s boats to row to Kerikeri to tell the mission that his house had been burnt down by Maori, in September 1820. Shortly after, Captain Silas West sailed Indian for the fishery again. They made one more visit in January before arriving at Sydney in March 1821. By this time her crew had taken 560 barrels of oil destined for sale on the London market.

Indian had by now been out from England for 18 months, but was far from ready to head home. In 1821 she called at the Bay of Islands in August and then again in January 1822. Unfortunately Indian was back again in February to bury Captain West who had been killed by a whale off Preservation Inlet. He too was buried in Hall’s garden, as he had earlier requested. Indian’s new captain was Merrick, and in April he sailed the ship for England, from Paroa Bay. When Indian next appeared in New Zealand it was 1826 and a man very familiar with the ship was at her helm again, Captain William Swaine. Having called at Sydney before hand, Indian had supercargo in the form of botanist, Mr Cunningham. He took a small trip up a river inland while at the Bay of Islands, accompanied by Captain Swaine and Captain Brind of Emily. Indian was still on this whaling cruise in April 1827 when she next called at the Bay, and in November she made her final stop there before sailing for England. Indian arrived in England in March 1828 and was only two months in port before sailing again for the South Seas on May 23. In September 1829 Indian was reported to be at the Bay of Islands still under command of Captain William Swaine.

Industry
In early January 1825 Christian Missionary Thomas Kendall sailed his newly built schooner Industry from Pator Noster Valley for the River Thames where they met up with the ship St Patrick. This latter ship soon carried Kendall and his family from New Zealand for the final time. From the mid to late 1820’s Industry was busy trading around the coast of New Zealand ferrying cargos of maize, flax, spirits, pork and potatoes between New Zealand and Sydney. By June 1830 Industry was trading in the Cloudy Bay, Cook Strait region. This area became the focal point for flax trade and bay whaling from the late 1820’s. Captain Young reported having been there in the spring of 1830, and that most of the ships were still unable to secure cargos of flax from local Maori. In 1831 a sealer named Industry was working in the southern Foveaux Strait area, and her captain was William Wiseman. Industry first called at Codfish Island but seeking a safe haven Captain Wiseman sailed her to Easy Harbour, on the advice of Tommy Chaseland. Chaseland was part Australian Aborigine whose eyesight was legendary. He was also considered an expert boatman. Unfortunately, at Easy Bay, Stewart Island, Industry was wrecked, with the loss of Captain Wisemen, ten men and six Maori woman. Only Chaseland, his wife and George Moss survived. When the ship Samuel arrived in Sydney in March 1831 it reported that Chaseland had saved his wife and then went back in to try to save others. In the water he got into difficulty and cut his face severely, after which he always had a scar. Chaseland’s wife then went in and saved her husband from drowning.