Working his way round the coast, which he says he could not "fetch," on April 3rd Lieutenant Symons made all sail for a bay to the south-east, and in the evening the ship came to anchorage, being then eleven leagues from North Cape. Of this place her Commander writes, "There are three islands laying to the south-east by north; one to the north which will break off all sail from this point of the compass. One of these islands is very thinly inhabited." The boat was lowered to sound between the island and the main, as a reef was perceived running out astern, and the soundings gave ten to five fathoms. At ten o'clock on April 4th the Lady Nelson again weighed and made sail to work to windward, and at eleven came to in eight fathoms of water—the bottom being "fine sand and shells."
At four o'clock two canoes containing only three men came alongside the ship, and early on the following morning three New Zealand Chiefs from the Island of Titteranee, friends of Tippahee, came to welcome their countryman on his return.
On the Island of Titteranee the natives were very friendly. One of their number, who had spent some time at Norfolk Island, came on board,* (* He was named Tookee.) and the Chiefs supplied the ship with a quantity of fish, for which Lieutenant Symons gave them bread in exchange. During the vessel's stay, the Chiefs of Titteranee were not only constant visitors, but some appear to have remained altogether in the ship. Possibly the Commander saw a little too much of Tippahee and his friends, as while the boats were on shore cutting brooms and obtaining water, the former was exceedingly troublesome on board—two or three times causing a disturbance by lifting up weapons and threatening the seamen at their work. At noon on the 12th of April, Mr. Symons records that he became very mutinous. An Otaheitan in the ship informed the Commander that he had asked one of the Chiefs to go on shore and bring his men to attack the vessel. Tippahee's residence was at the Bay of Islands, and it seems fortunate that Lieutenant Symons was able to land him safely among his own people, for according to the Sydney Gazette he wielded great power and was acknowledged to be a great Chief by the New Zealanders "from the North Cape to his own dwelling place."
On April 20th, before reaching the Bay of Islands, the Commander of the Lady Nelson went to examine a deep bay to the south-west, which he explored. He found at the bottom of this bay a river which "ran south-south-east and north-north-west about three miles and one from the west-south-west to west-north-west...after the first Reach the River runs flat and 3 or 4 leagues. On the larboard shore of the river it is not safe for any vessel, drawing more than 12 feet, to attempt entering." He also mentions a lagoon which ran at the back of the beach to the eastward of the River and a deep bay; these were about one mile apart.
In returning from this little expedition of exploration—which was a very early one—the boat was upset and two muskets, three powder horns, and two pistols were lost. Symons had already lost the stock of the small bower anchor, the deep-sea lead, and the seine among the rocks. On April 22nd the ship took her departure from this harbour, leaving behind her here a seaman named Joseph Druce who deserted and could not be found.
On the evening of the same day Cavill's or Cavalli Island was sighted, and a native fire could be seen burning there. At noon the latitude observed was 34 degrees 43 minutes 57 seconds south. Next morning, while working off and on the shore, Cape Brett, some fourteen miles distant to the eastward, and at noon Point Pocock (of Captain Cook) which lay to the south-east came into view.* (* The Point Pocock of Cook is now Cape Wiwiki.)
On Friday the 25th April the Lady Nelson, escorted by three canoes bore up between two islands in the Bay of Islands and came to under the Island of Matuapo in two fathoms. Tippahee's home was situated on the north side of the Bay of Islands, just within Point Pocock, and is described as "a considerable Hippah strongly fortified." The district extending to the northward was called Whypopoo, but Tippahee claimed the whole country across the island from Muri Whenua.* (* The name for the land's end or most northern part of New Zealand.) At the same time he admitted that his two great rivals were Mowpah, who was Chief of the territory in the neighbourhood of the River Thames, and Moodee, Chief of the territory to the northward.
Lieutenant Symons lost no time in sending the presents given to the Maoris at Sydney on shore, and at daylight on the day after his arrival he also landed the bricks and the framework of the wooden house. The house, by Governor King's orders, was to be erected in the most suitable spot possible, and was intended for the use of any officials who might be sent from Sydney, or for any missionaries whom the Governor might permit to dwell there. The carpenter was sent on shore to carry out the Governor's instructions, and he built the house on an island in the Bay of Islands on a site selected by Mr. Symons, who afterwards stated that the island was a very small one, but he believed that the house would be impregnable, and able to withstand the attacks of any force that the country at that time could bring against it.* (* This house was one of the first, if not the very first house, to be built in New Zealand. We do not hear even of a single sealer's hut then at the Bay of Islands, but shortly afterwards settlers and missionaries from Sydney arrived there, and in 1815 (see Calcutta Gazette, April 27th), after the missionaries arrived, houses began to grow up, and the Bombay Courier, November 20th, 1819, says of it, "The settlement at New Zealand appears to have assumed a regular form and to be regarded as a British Colony regulated under the control of New South Wales Government Authority. On September 29th the Missionaries, sent out by the Church Missionary Society, took their departure from Sydney for the Bay of Islands on board the American brig General Gates, one of them, the Reverend J. Butler, having previously been appointed by Governor Macquarie to act as justice of the peace and magistrate of the Island of New Zealand.")
The Lady Nelson waited for five days in the Bay of Islands, until the carpenter had completed his work, and during that time Tippahee, who seems to have overcome his fit of temper, brought on board many presents for his friends in Sydney, sending one to each person individually; these were for the most part weapons of war, which, observes the Sydney Gazette, "must have somewhat diminished his native armoury." A sample of New Zealand flax (Phormium tenax) was also brought back from Tippahee's dominions. The flax was used by the Maoris not only in weaving mats and kirtles, but also for making fishing lines. The lines, although they were twisted entirely by hand, resembled the finest cord of European manufacture, The most useful presents, however, sent on board by Tippahee were some fine ships' spars, which New Zealand produced in great abundance, and also a quantity of seed potatoes, then very scarce in Sydney, and consequently greatly appreciated.
Leaving New Zealand, and after passing Three Kings' Islands, Lieutenant Symons steered to Norfolk Island, where he embarked some men of the New South Wales Corps under Ensign Lawson for Sydney. During the long voyage of four months, the brig sustained no material damage, though she met with continuous bad weather, "thus preserving her character," says the Sydney Gazette, "as being a vessel of the greatest capability, considering her small dimensions."