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Historical Records of New Zealand South

Dusky—A Dangerous Location

Dusky—A Dangerous Location.

So bad was the repute Dusky Bay rendezvousing became that it was literally unsafe to be found in the vicinity. In 1882 the American, General Gates, left a seal gang in one of its reaches, who appear to have had some difficulty with the natives. A few weeks afterwards, the inlet was visited by the Elizabeth (Goron, master). In absence of the master, the General Gates's gang visited her, with the benevolent purpose of putting her crew on their guard against surprise. The party consisted of seven—five Europeans, one American, and a Maori. They told the person in charge that the natives were very hostile to the crews of vessels and gangs, and that a party of them had lately killed four of their number. They further stated that one of their boats, cruising among the islands in search of seals, had been taken by the natives, but that the crew, together with the chief officer, the American aforesaid, managed to effect their escape. When Captain Goron returned on board the facts were recounted to him. Meantime, the gang had left for their own quarters. Goron, suspecting their bona fides, proceeded on shore with his boat's crew, took the men prisoners, and brought them to Sydney. Sydney Gazette, January 23, 1823, reports that when brought before the magistrate, Goron wished to impress on the Court that he had just cause to suspect they were runaway convicts, now turned pirates, in our seas. One of the men avowed himself to be an escaped prisoner of the Crown, but the others asserted their freedom, which no one was prepared to deny. They said there was not the smallest doubt but that Captain Riggs, of the General Gates, would come after them as soon as information reached him of the event, which no doubt had now occurred, from the gangs that Captain Goron stationed on the spot. The free men were directed to be remanded till ample satisfaction could be procured as to their actual freedom, and the prisoner was ordered into custody. With regard to the conduct of Captain Goron on the novel occasion, the magistrates, at this stage of the proceeding, could not withhold expressing their entire disapprobation at the perpetration of such an act.

The Customs Records announce that the Elizabeth brought 1500 sealskins, after a short voyage, cruising amongst these sounds, so that, at this time (1823), seals must have been numerous. Further, in support thereof, we find: March 3, 1825, the Elizabeth, then in charge of one Brooks, entered in at Sydney, direct from Dusky, with 3000 fur skins, said to be the "most finely" preserved sample ever brought to hand.

In 1831 the regular trader Prince of Denmark brought a quantity of mineral from New Zealand, which seems to have attracted notice. Be-page 178ing a Southern New Zealand trader, it was known the metal came from some portion of the south coast, but a great deal of reticence was observed as to the exact locality. Drs Malcolm and Boston, assisted by Mr Mchaven, of Sydney, made the following analytical test, which is published in Sydney Gazette, December 31, 1831: —"Platina, 5.000; rhodium, 2.075; palladium, 0.400; iridium, 0.025." The Gazette of January 5, 1832, has the further announcement that Messrs Wyre, M'Laren, and Whyte chartered the schooner Admiral Gifford to carry down miners and machinery for working the ore. A Customs entry of the date details that the Admiral Gifford would go direct to Dusky Bay, and afterwards proceed eastward along the coast for relief of sealing gangs at work in Foveaux Strait. [We therefore conclude Dusky Bay was the scene of the reputed mineral discovery.]