Explorers charts and views of New Zealand 1642-1840

Explorers' charts and views of New Zealand 1642-1840

Part D

Plates 38 to 60

By
Brian Hooker

(Continued from Part C.)

Plate 38

Part of Southern New Zealand and Stewart Island William Lawrence Edwardson

1822-23

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library must

be obtained before any re-use of

this image (835aj / [1823] Acc. 410)

The double outer border is an addition by the editor.

NEW ZEALAND / ISLAND T'AVAI POENAMMOO, or Island of GREEN STONE

Unsigned, uncoloured, manuscript chart; copied 25 May 1832; pen and ink on paper; 644 x 431 mm. Mercator's projection. Prime meridian: Based on a line passing over Greenwich. Location: Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington (835aj / [1823] Acc. 410).

This chart is a copy, made in the Surveyor-General's Office, Sydney, in 1832, of a sketch prepared by William Lawrence Edwardson in 1822-23. Several short legends in the chart refer to the presence or absence of flax; the Stewart Island legends relate to the coastline.

The legend beside the southwest coast of the South Island reads:


		This part of the Coast unknown except to Sealers" and the legend to the left of the title reads: "High Mountains named by capt. Cook the Southern Alps.

Edwardson was sent in 1822 by the government of New South Wales in the sloop Snapper, to collect a cargo of dressed flax from New Zealand. He prepared a number of detailed charts from surveys made in the Foveaux Strait region. Edwardson's chart came into French hands at Port Jackson in 1823 during the visit of Duperrey' s expedition (see Section 16). Jules Poret de Blosseville, a midshipman, met Edwardson shortly after his return from a voyage to the southern part of New Zealand. De Blosseville copied Edwardson's charts and studied his journal.

De Blosseville's copy of Edwardson's chart served as the prototype when a copper plate was engraved, and charts printed (part of No. 45), for binding in with the Atlas Hydrographie which accompanies the published account of Duperrey's voyage. In the French printed version, Edwardson is credited as the surveyor.

Early British Admiralty printed charts of southern areas are partly modelled on Edwardson's surveys but the source of the data is not explained.

Edwardson was an important early surveyor and it is appropriate that his name is honoured in present-day charts. Edwardson Sound is the northernmost of the two arms at the head of Chalky Inlet. The southern peninsula of Chew Tobacco Bay, Stewart Island is named Cape Edwardson.

Bibliography: Howard (1940); Maling (1999); McNab (1907); Ross (1969).

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Plate 39
Henrietta Bay, Ruapuke Island, Foveaux Strait

with an inset sketch

William Lawrence Edwardson

1822

Reproduced with kind permission of the UKHO (L2489a on Xu).

The double outer border is an addition by the editor

SKETCH I OF THE ANCHORAGE OF I GOULBURN ISLAND I where the Flax pr. the Snapper was procured [with an inset sketch:] / Singular Rock, visible 10 miles 1822

Unsigned, undated manuscript plan; pen and ink on paper; 382 x 505 mm. Location: Hydrographic Office, Taunton, Somerset (L2489a on Xu).

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William Lawrence Edwardson received little recognition when the British Hydrographer published his charts or used his survey-data. However, we noticed when examining Edwardson's chart of southern New Zealand and Stewart Island, that French hydrographic authorities acknowledged his surveys (see Plate 38).

The plan reproduced here served as the prototype when the British Hydrographic Office engraved a copper plate and printed charts in 1840 (No. 1328). Edwardson's name is not mentioned in the printed plan but. the title includes the following note: "from a sketch communicated by Lieut. Orlando Wilson R.N."

Edwardson's reckoning of longitude, 168º 20' E, was a reasonable calculation for the period but in present-day charts the meridian of 168o 30' E, passes over Henrietta Bay. Thus coastlines are laid down 10' too far west.

The legend "Residence of James Caddell," refers to the Pakeha Maori Chief.

Bibliography: Howard (1940); Maling (1999); Ross (1969).

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Plate 40
Hokianga Harbour
James Herd
1822

Archives Nationales, Paris (Marine 5JJ 83.5).

The double outer border is an addition by the editor

Chart of the harbour at Toke anga on the western Coast of New Zealand. (Rivière Gambier) / le nom est celui de la riviere … Ce plan a été leve / par le Cap herd et / communique par Mr Kendall. (Chart of the harbour at Hokianga on the West Coast of New Zealand. “River Gambier” That is the name of the river. This plan was drawn up by Captain Herd and given to us by Mr Kendall.)

Unsigned, undated, uncoloured, manuscript chart; pen and ink on paper; 647 x 450 mm. Location: Archives Nationales, Paris (Marine 5JJ 83.5).

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This sketch of Hokianga Harbour, by James Herd, was done when he arrived in search of spars in the Providence in May 1822. The plan came into the hands of Thomas Kendall, the missionary, who passed it on to Isidore Duperrey of the Coquille, at the Bay of Islands in April 1824. This is explained in an inscription in the work. Taken to Paris, the sketch served as the model when a copper plate was engraved in 1827. Charts were printed (No. 46) for binding in with the Atlas Hydrographie, published to accompany the official account of Duperrey’s Pacific voyage.

At least two of the legends in the chart were added after it reached the French explorers. The name conferred by the missionaries, “Rivière Gambier” did not survive.

Herd’s visit in 1822 to Hokianga Harbour was not the first by a European navigator; this honour belongs to John Rodolphus Kent, who sailed the New South Wales government schooner Prince Regent into Hokianga in 1820.

Bibliography: B. Hooker (1988); Ross (1969).

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   Plate 41
      Otago Harbour
      James Herd
   1826

: Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library must be obtained before any re-use of

this image. (part of Map 832.11aj / 1822-27/Acc. 384).

The double outer border is an addition by the editor

(section of a chart: ) Otago or Port Oxley in New Zealand *Latitude 45 46 45 S Longitude 170 24 E Variation 17 E / -1826-

Unsigned, dated, manuscript plan; colour and ink on paper; 359 x 382 mm. (copy of a plan, made at an unknown date.) Location: The Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington (part of Map 832.11aj / 1822-27/Acc. 384).

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This copy of the earliest known plan of Otago Harbour, is part of a set of plans on one sheet, drawn by James Herd, or copied from Herd's papers at an unknown date.

In command of the first New Zealand Company's expedition, consisting of the barque Rosanna and the cutter Lambton, Herd entered Otago Harbour on 4 May 1826.

In the plan, north is to the bottom.

In an article published in the Nautical Magazine in 1832, Herd includes the following information on Otago Harbour:


		... up about 9 miles S.S.W. making a peninsula of the land on which is Cape Saunders, bearing from the said cape N.b.W. by compass, about 2 leagues distant. This is a well-sheltered harbour, with a bar across the entrance, having 3 ½ fathoms over it at low water, and from 7 to 9 fathoms inside. The course in, is S. b. E. keeping the larboard, or east shore, on board, until a mile and a half within the heads, when a vessel will be completely land-locked. As the bar is within the heads, there is never any sea on it. Variation 17o 5' E. High-water full and change 20 minutes past 3 P.M. The tide rises about 9 feet. In latitude 45º 24' 26" and longitude 170º 50' lies a reef nearly level with the water, and about 3 miles from the shore, on which we had nearly struck.

The name "Port Oxley" did not survive; it was conferred in 1823 by J. R. Kent to honour the name of his friend the noted New South Wales explorer John Oxley.

Bibliography: Maling (1999); McNab (1907).

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Plate 42
Bay of Islands
THEODORE JULIEN DE LA CALANDE DE BLOIS, JULES

ALPHONSE RENE PORET DE BLOSSEVILLE AND AUGUSTE BÉRARD
1824

Archives Nationales, Paris (Marine 5JJ 83.2).

Nouvelle-Zelande. // Plan / de la Baie des Iles, Nouvelle Zélande / levé en avril 1824 / par MM. de Blois, de Blosseville et Bérard (New Zealand. Plan of the Bay of Islands, New Zealand, surveyed in April 1824 by Messieurs de Blois, de Blosseville and Bérard).

Dated, uncoloured (except moorings are in red ink), pen and wash; manuscript chart, on paper 268 x 450 mm. Mercator’s projection. Prime meridian: Based on a line passing over Paris, viz, 2º 20’ E of Greenwich. Location: Archives Nationales, Paris (Marine 5JJ 83.2)

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The chart reproduced (click on the thumbnail) is one of several prepared during the two weeks stay of Louis Isidore Duperrey’s Coquille expedition in April 1824. The chart includes the track of the Coquille in and out of the bay and shows two anchorages; the first, south of Moturua Island and the second or main anchorage off present-day Orokawa Bay on Orokawa Peninsula.

On the day of his arrival at the main anchorage on 4 April, Duperrey set up an observatory in the middle of the beach at Orokawa Bay. In his Memoire, Duperrey declares that the observatory established at the foot of the “hippah of Kolokawa” was on the very spot where Captain Marion was murdered in 1772.

Duperrey provides the following latitude and longitude figures for the centre of Orokawa Bay: at. 35º 15´ 16.7" Long. 171º 51´ 6.5" E (from Paris). Modern charts indicate that the meridian of 174º 12´ E passes over the centre of Orokawa Bay, and since that corresponds to 171º 52´ East of Paris, Duperrey’s calculations were remarkably accurate.

It is interesting to notice in the chart longitude figures have been cancelled. In another chart also preserved in the Archives Nationales, the more accurate figures quoted by Duperrey are inscribed.

In the illustration the area of present-day Kerikeri can be seen. One of the marks represents Kemp House, part of which is extant today. The village south of the river was a Hongi Hika settlement.

The chart indicates soundings in brasses with letters beside some figures providing details of the sea bottom.

According to Duperrey, Auguste Bérard (1796-1852), and Theodore Julien de La Calande de Blois (b. 1799) were responsible for surveying the eastern part of the Bay of Islands and Jules Alphonse René Poret de Blosseville (1802-33) dealt with the western part.

This manuscript work and others served as prototypes when copper plates were engraved in 1827. Charts were printed (Nos 19 and 20) for binding in with the Atlas Hydrographie published to accompany the official account of Duperrey’s voyage.

Bibliography: Dunmore (1965 and 1969); B. Hooker (1988); Sharp (1971).

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Plate 43
Port Nicholson
Thomas Barnett
1826

Reproduced with kind permission of the UKHO. (416 on Xu).

PORT NICHOLSON, / or / Wángenueáterá, / In / New Zealand. / Surveyed & Drawn by / T Barnett. May 1826

Signed, date, uncoloured manuscript chart; pen and ink on paper; 540 x 400 mm. Location: Hydrographic Office, Taunton, Somerset (416 on Xu).

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The first New Zealand Company expedition, consisting of the barque Rosanna, and the cutter Lambton, entered Port Nicholson on 26 May 1826. The commander of the enterprise, James Herd, sailed on the Rosanna, and the Lambton was under the charge of Thomas Barnett, author of the chart reproduced here.

Herd's expedition is sometimes credited with the European discovery and naming of Port Nicholson but as the name was inscribed in British charts, published before Herd left New Zealand in early February 1827, it is obvious that the harbour was visited and named at an earlier date.

The origin of the name Port Nicholson is partly explained in a note in the chart: "To J. Nicholson Esq. this Chart is respectfully presented by His Obt. Servt. T. Barnett. Sydney March 12th 1827." In 1827 John Nicholson held the position of harbourmaster at Sydney. The most credible explanation concerning the naming of the harbour is that the name was conferred by J.R. Kent when he visited Port Nicholson in 1824.

In the chart, latitude and longitude figures are provided for an observation point at present-day Point Gordon (41º 17' 11" S; 174º 20' 15" E). Barnett's reckoning of latitude is quite accurate; however the figure he provides for longitude places the observation point 30' too far west. This is somewhat puzzling because Herd calculated a far more accurate figure (174º 51' 1" E). A probable explanation is that Herd's figure was an averaged computation, arrived at later, after numerous calculations including reckonings by the lunar distances method as well as by chronometers; whereas Barnett selected a single figure at the time he prepared the chart.

In July 1840, the British Hydrographic Office engraved a copper plate using Barnett's work as the prototype and printed charts (No. 1273).

Another version of Barnett's chart is held in the Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington.

Bibliography: B. Hooker (1993); Maling (1999).

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