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going over the ranges at the back of Akaroa, when one missed the other. Magee’s mate came back to Akaroa, but could give no account of Magee, so a search party was instituted. Magee was found lying dead at the foot of a precipice. Many rumours were current about this affair, the dead man being discovered in a remarkable position.
No. 10.—A Lady Colonist’s Experiences.
Mr. and Mrs. Peter Brown left Glasgow in October, 1839, in the ship Bengal Merchant, bound to Port Nicholson with immigrants, under the New Zealand Association. The Bengal Merchant was commanded by Captain Emery, and had on board about a hundred passengers. She was the first emigrant ship that ever left Scotland for New Zealand. The passage was a fine weather one, and the passengers were all well during the voyage. The events were few and far between, consisting of the birth of one child, a marriage, and the death by sunstroke of a boy. No land was touched at till Port Hardy was reached, where a few hours’ stoppage took place, and the Maoris were seen for the first time by the new colonists, who were astonished at their primitive costume, one red shirt being the only European clothing amongst the whole hapu. Port Nicholson was reached early in February, 1840, and the new comers landed at the Petoni Beach. There were very few Europeans living in the place, only one lot of immigrants having landed previously, some fortnight before. The immigrants were not by any means delighted at the appearance of their adopted home. There were no houses, those on shore living in tents