Page:Tales-of-Banks-Peninsula Jacobson 2ed 1893 cropped.pdf/159

wreckage until picked up by the captain’s boat. This same whale was taken two days afterwards. It was known by the iron in it, and turned out a large number of barrels. Calling in at Stewart’s Island for wood and water, four fresh hands (Maoris) were engaged, who had been a trip before, and turned out good men at the oar.

After cruising about up the east coast of New Zealand, they ran into Akaroa, as their captain intended to recruit here for a month. It was blowing a gale of wind from the north-west when they made the Heads, and it was as much as they could do to work the ship up the harbor. Some of the squalls were terrific, and as they had her under pretty small canvas, it was no joke working her, where the tacks were so short. After getting about half way up, the wind was a good deal steadier and the harbor wider, and they dropped anchor abreast of the present town of Akaroa. This was in March, 1837. There were three other vessels lying there at that time, two being French, and one a Sydney whaler. The skipper laid in a good stock of pork and potatoes, the Maoris being very willing to trade, taking principally tobacco and slops for their produce. The crew were allowed to go ashore a good deal, and here it was that our hero fell in love with a young Native woman, who proved as good and fond a wife to him as any of his own countrywomen could have been. She was the daughter of a Native chief named Iwikau, a chief of the Ngatirangiamoa, and was about twenty years of age, To quote his own words: “I was twenty-three myself at this time, so that we were about a match. As money was of very little use here in those days, I took all I had to draw from the ship in trade, and as we had been very lucky, my share amounted to over six hundred dollars. Amongst my purchases was a five-oared whale-boat, which the skipper would not part with