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Historical Records of New Zealand

Lieut.-Governor Grose to The Right Hon. Henry Dundas

Lieut.-Governor Grose to The Right Hon. Henry Dundas.

Sydney, New South Wales, 21st April, 1793.

Sir,—

I have the satisfaction to inform you that the Dædalus on the morning of yesterday made her appearance on the coast, and I have prevailed on the captain of the Shah Hormuzear, who was at that time about to take his departure, to stay a day longer, that I might be enabled by the conveyance of his ship to communicate her arrival.

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I at first began to fear I had been precipitate in the contract I had made for the cattle, but the event proves otherwise, and you will perceive by Captain Vancouver’s dispatches to Governor Phillip* that the Dædalus is sent here more for the purpose of asking than giving assistance.

The particulars relative to the Discovery and Chatham having been already communicated, it is unnecessary for me to trouble you with any recital on that subject, or the melancholy end of Lieutenant Hergherst [Hergest] and Mr. Gootch [Gooch], the astronomer.

Captain Vancouver has sent here two natives of New Zealand, for the purpose of teaching us their manner of manufacturing the flax-plant; and he has attempted, but without success, to supply us with twelve cows, six bulls, some calves, eighteen sheep, and a number of hogs. Unluckily, no part of the stock, excepting hogs, one calf, and four sheep, has survived the passage.

* Ante, p. 156. Vancouver’s Voyage of Discovery, vol. iii, p. 63.

These gentlemen were massacred on the 7th May, 1792, by the natives of one of the Marquesas Islands.—Ib., vol. ii, p. 320.

These natives were conveyed to Sydney, in the Dædalus, by Lieutenant Hanson. Post, p. 169 and note. See Collins, vol. i, p. 519, where a full account of them will be found; see also p. 130.

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I shall take care that the Dædalus returns at the time Cap-tain Vancouver has pointed out; and I am happy to add the service he is engaged in is not likely to be interrupted for the want of supplies, being enabled from the state of my stores to fur nish him with almost everything he writes for.*

I shall convey to you by the Kitty the charts and drawings of Oyster Bay, King George the Third’s Sound, &c., which I have received from Captain Vancouver, and the which should now be sent but that I consider it absolutely requisite for my own information and future guidance to get them copied, and this cannot be done in time for the Shah Hormuzear.

I am, &c.,

Frans. Grose.

* Vancouver’s Voyage of Discovery, vol. iv, p. 304.