The Marks of Man

Port Lyttelton. Passengers by the "Cressy" landing. by Wm. Fox Esqr. VOYAGES OF THE FIRST FOUR SHIPS. We have been favoured with the following accounts of the first ships, by passengers on board: THE "CRESSY" On the morning of Sep. 4th, 1850 the barque, "Cressy," 720 tons, J.D. Bell, master, left Gravesend, and was towed down the river. She sailed down the Channel, was nearly becalmed off the Isle of Wight, and did not drop anchor in Plymouth Sound before 3 in the morning of Sept. 7. At midnight she left Plymouth, and had an excellent run out of Channel. On the 10th she was almost clear of the Bay of Biscay, the nearest land begin Corunna- the antipodes of Lyttelton- but far from her. Five days of very light winds succeeded, and on the18th we made Maderia, and passed to the westward of it; on the 20th made Palma and Teneriffe; on the morning of the 26th made S. Antonio, passed to W. of all the islands, and ran as far as 26.26 W. We had no N.E. trades; and

Port Lyttelton. Passengers by the "Cressy" landing. From a drawing by Wm. Fox Esqr. Etched by T. Allom Here is an Arcadian dream in a lithograph. A man dressed immaculately and his wife, modest and matronly, covered with children, the oldestboy struggling up the hill with baggage, to populate the new Colony. They have just stepped off the boat in conditions most modern Kiwis would never tolerate. Shaking hands with a town official in a most formal way in their new land. I have to admit, it seems exciting and honest in way lost to most of us new immigrants and those already here in New Zealand. Though hang on if the place is so new, why have the trees have already been cut down and the stumps removed. This is the second clearance, after the great hunting fires. Camp Bay seems deserted though it was a hospital for those who suffered most in the crossing, most died there too. The buildings though few, are grand even the cottages seem prosperous, they offer the promise of wealth

Lyttelton, Port of Victoria, Drawn by E. Norman. Maclure, Macdonald & Macgregor, Lith:London, Lyttelton, published by Martin Heywood. Made only a hundred and fifty years or so ago. The hills are already clear cut , the the town seems out of a box it is so new, yet because the town is so far from England the engraver has made it seem bleak and alien. The original water colour captures the light unique to New Zealand. Here is the original Bunney, J. (John Wharlton), 1828-1882. Port Lyttelton, Canterbury 1858. 1 watercolour ; 41.5 x 61 cm.