VALUABLE RELIC

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 448, 2 June 1937, Page 2

VALUABLE RELIC

CAPTAIN COOK MEDALLION Found At Wairau River Foxton, June 2. An interesting relic of the visit of Captain Cook to this Dominion is in the possession of Captain V. Vendore, pilot of the Foxton Harbour Board and resident of Manawatu Heads., It is a medallion picked up on the banks? of the WairUu River some years ago. At the time of its discovery the medal was encased- in papa clay and it was the peculiar staining of this earth that led to-it-being broken open and the medallion brought to light. It is in an excellent state of preservhtion and is the size of a crown piece. It has a loop for suspending it. On the obverse side of the medallion is the head of King George in bold bas-relief with the inscripticn “George 111, King of Great Britain, France and Ireland, etc.” . On the reverse side is a representation of the two ships concerned in Cook's visit to these shores in 1772, with the legend “Resolution, Adventure. Sailed from England, March MDCCLXXI.I.”

Actually the expedition did net leave England until July, 1772, -as i-t was found necessary at the last minute to carry out extensive alterations to -the Resolution. It is assumed that the medallion had- been struck for March, however, before .the holdtop beclame necessary. When the expedition -finally left in July Captain Cook was in command of the Resolution and Captain Tobias Furnaux of the Adventure. Captain Cook was known to have brought a limited number of these medallions with him to New Zealand land presented them on his arrival to the various high Maori chiefs with whom he came in contact, urging them to wear them upon cords suspended around their necks to mark the favour of the “great white chief.” His real object, of course, way to Provide proof to subsequent voyagers of his visit to these parts in 1772. A Maori pa was situated on the shores of the- Wai ria u River near where the medallion was found, and it is possible ithat relic was lost by some Native many years ago.