Ships Carried Many Passengers

OUR ancestors had simpler ideas than we have about the size of ships. The 500-ton vessels that took emigrants out to New Zealand they regarded as ‘ ships of the first class, of great size.’ The bigger boats carried about 250 passengers. The Bitman, for instance, sailing towards the end of 1841, had on board 100 married adults with their 74 child­ren and 16 infants. It carried also 16 single men and 10 single women. This boat of 544 tons was in the charge of a surgeon blessed with the happy name of Motherwell. Small as the boats were, compared to our monstrous ships, they did their work well. By August, 1843, there were 3,800 settlers near Wellington, with 192 at Wanganui and 150 in the Manawatu and Otaki districts. Nelson had 2,902 people and New Plymouth 1,090. Between 1839 and 1844 the Company sent out 63 emigrant ships. Three of these sailed from Scottish ports, a few from Plymouth and Liverpool, the majority from Gravesend.

A fast passage in those days took about 90 days; The average length of voyages was about three months and a half. Three or four ships would set out together. For a day or two they might remain in sight of each other in the Channel waters, where there was plenty of other shipping. Gradually the squadron scattered. A boat bound for New Zealand would more than likely fall in with a vessel bound for South Africa or for Australia. The Captains would talk across the water, even exchange visits. Any ship homeward or outward bound they would ask for news. Occasionally, especially if they fell into company late in the voyage, one ship: would be able to supply another with some com­modity, tobacco, rum, or sugar, which had become exhausted. These courtesies all ships extended to each other regardless of nationality.