When She Was Trooping.

Very few people will remember that the Jocelyn's first visit to Auckland was paid in the sixties, and that she was one of the fleet of vessels that brought troops to Auckland when the Maori War broke out. It was on December 10, 1863, that the Lady Jocelyn, under command of Captain Robert W. Kerr, Lieutenant, R.N.R., dropped anchor in the Waite-page 43mata. At this date she was an auxiliary ship chartered by the English Government to bring troops from Calcutta to take part in the Maori War. She brought over the headquarters of the 43rd Regiment Light Infantry, in command of Colonel Henry Booth. Her passengers included 21 officers, 646 rank and file, 48 women, 93 children, and a band numbering 25.

The vessel left Calcutta on October 8, and experienced a continuance of heavy head winds. As she was in very light trim she became very cranky, and made but little headway for several days. Captain Kerr considered the ship unsafe, so he called at Mauritius on November 1 and took in ballast. The next day she resumed her passage, encountered head winds during the first week, after which she had a splendid run to New Zealand, her average speed being 250 miles a day. She passed the Three Kings on December 9. Seven deaths and nine births occurred during the voyage. the Lady Jocelyn brought 600,000 rounds of rifle ammunition, store and tent equipage, etc.