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Historical Records of New Zealand

Captain Reynolds to Earl Bathurst

page 643

Captain Reynolds to Earl Bathurst.

London, No. 4 Exmouth Street, Commercial Road. Octr. 10th, 1825.

My Lord,—

I take the liberty of making known to Your Lordship that the New Zealand chief was taken on board His Majesty’s hired ship The Thames on Thursday last, agreeable to directions forwarded me, and that he took with him a considerable quantity of wearing apparel, carpenters’ tools, agricultural utensils, and sundry other articles necessary for his passage out, and which will be of the most essential service to him and his fellow countrymen at New Zealand, and will, I trust, tend much towards the cevelization of that numerous body of savages, particularly as I have endeavoured to instill in the mind of the chief the importance and comfort of living peaceably when he reaches his native shores, and I have taught him to the utmost of my power the use of the various implements which accompany him.

By reference to my letter of the 19th March last to Your Lordship, stating the various circumstances attending the unavoidable boarding of the chief in Cooks Streights, New Zealand, it will appear he has been under my protection from the 26th Febr., 1824, and during such time he has been the subject of much affliction, particularly during his stay at Liverpool, where I was induced to intrude upon Your Lordship’s attention and make known such event, and to trust an allowance would be made for his support during the time he should be in England.

In answer to that application Your Lordship was kind enough (and for which I shall ever feel gratefull) to recommend to the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury that a sovereign a day should be allowed for his maintenance from the date of the arrival of the ship Urania at Liverpool untill a passage should be provided for his reconveyance to his own country.

In order that Your Lordship may be aware of the manner in which the time of the chief and myself had been occupied, I beg leave to say we have visited the principal manufactory’s and public buildings in Liverpool, Birmingham, Gloucester, and London, and in so doing the chief took particular notice, and was much pleased with the various scenes which claimed his attention.

I beg to forward the accompanying account, which includes the sum allowed for the chief’s maintenance, as also various items for wearing apparel and other necessaries supplied to him page 644 prior to his departure, which I trust Your Lordship will deem expedient, and order the sums so expended to be re-embursed to

Yours, &c.,

R. K. Reynolds.

To the Right Honorable Earl Bathurst, &c., &c.