compelled to subsist on the berries of the forest, and on the seaweed of the beach

The last First Crossings programme covered Thomas Brunner’s long journey to the middle of the Middle Island, and down the coast. Brunner’s return to Nelson was  reported in the Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle on 17 June 1848, and notes on his expedition were published in the Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, on 30 September 1848. The Nelson Examiner also has extensive reports of the expeditions of both Brunner and Heaphy.  NZETC has John Pascoe’s copy of The Great Journey: an expedition to explore the interior of the Middle Island, New Zealand, 1846-8 and for those of with a library nearby Nancy Taylor’s Early Travellers in New Zealand combines both the newspaper reports and the details published in an early pamphlet.

small island with a very scanty allowance of provisions

Newspapers on Paperspast don’t begin until August 1839 so reports on early New Zealand incidents can be difficult to find, so off to Australia we go – to Trove from the National Library of Australia; and a report in the Ship news column in The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser, on Saturday 18 December 1813, when the Governor Bligh returned with 14,000 seal skins, 3 tons of elephant oil, and 10 persons from the west coast of New Zealand.

Fyfe, Graham & de la Beche

Reports from The Press, the Timaru Herald and the Star

Grave, Talbot & Milford Sound

A report on Grave and Talbot’s attempt to find a new overland route into Milford Sound from the Ashburton Guardian, 17 January 1910.  And a report on a follow up trip in 1911 written by W.G. Grave for the Press.

Sardines are an unwonted luxury on our expeditions..

Grave and Talbot made a series of attempts to find ways into Milford Sound, as did others.

A narrative of the journey

If you watched First Crossings last night and want to read more try the account by Jacob Louper published in the Lyttelton Times on Jul 11, 1863.