STORIES OF THE PENINSULA.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume VI, Issue 616, 9 June 1882, Page 2

STORIES OF THE PENINSULA.

No. 24—GicoiiGK Hemplemax's Diary,

The.compiler has had placed at his disposal a number of log-books, which comprise tho diary of George Hempleman. Tbey are yellow with age, dating from November, 1835, at which time Captain Hempleman sailed from Sydney to Banks Peninsula on a whaling voyage, in the brig Bee. It was on the 29th of November that the brig left Pinch Gut, where she had boon lying, aud, after a short anchorage at Watson's Bay, finally cleared the Heads, a terrible thunderstorm from tho southward prevailing at tho time. No damage, however, was done, and the vessel got clear of the coast without mishap. The usual events of a voyage followed, but on December 20th a poor woman who had stowed herse.f in the forehold ''for love of Mr Wright's nephew," as it is quaintly put, was discovered. She was of course sent buck to Sydney by the first opportunity, which happened to be in a whaling barque called the Governor Bourke, with 1200 barrels of oil aboard.

There were many vessels spoken, and most of them seemed to have had a lot of oil aboard, showing hew plentiful whales were in those days. The Bee, however, seems to have been a very leaky craft, for they had to pump ship every two or three hours. On Monday, December 2 At, they got a sipplyof vegetables from Lord Howe's Idand. On January 11th, 1836, the first whale was captured. A sperm whale that yielded 31 barrels was caught on January 25th, but the leak kept increasing, and on the 30th they tried to discover where the water came in by breaking out the run, but were unsuccessful.

On Saturday, the 6th of February, the East Cape was made, and the ship hove to for Natives to come aboard with pigs and potatoes. She got a good lot, and then stood away to the southward. On Wednesday, tho 17th, to quote the log, •' Strong breezes and squally. Made and shortened sail as required, and lay to till daylight; then stood in for the harbor, to come to an anchor in 4| fathoms water, clay bottom." The harbor was in Banks Peninsula, but whether or not it was Akaroa is a moot point. Some persons are of opinion it was Port Levy. At any rate, wherever it was, they found a convenient place for hauling the brig ashore, and, stripping off the copper,found several bad places. Wherever the harbor was, it must have been close to this place, for on March 27th we read that two boats were sent to " Wangaloor." as it is spelt, and on April loth a boat was sent to Pigeon Bay to cut spars for a house. On the 18th of April they commenced building a house of "timber and flags," the latter, no doubt, being raupo. Maories helped them at the work. On tho 27th of the same month tho American ships Fr endship and Nile arrived. From this time whales seem to have been very plentiful, for there are almost daily records of their being taken. The Caroline, ship, Captain Cherry, arrived on May 20th, so the harbor, wherever it was, must have been quite lively. Some of the whales gave them a good deal of trouble, for we hear of the boats being stove in, and of narrow escapes, but fish, as they called them, were very numerous indeed, no less than ten being caught in one week.

On Friday, July 15th. they finished their shore work, and all hands were employed getting ready the vessel for ssa, and on the 16th sailed. They got a number of whales outside, and returned to the harbor to try them out. At length, on Sunday, the 24th of the same month, the vessel put to sea. The voyage back to Sydney was very uneventful and quiot, and on the 9th of August the pilot came on board, and the same evening the good brig Bee, with her valuable freight, dropped anchor in Sydney Harbor.