CUBA

The 'Cuba', a ship of 270 tons, was captained by Captain John Newcombe.  The voyage started from the West India Docks, London on 2 August 1839.  Captain Mein Smith’s group of 22 men list had embarked on the 31 July.  The voyage out was not without incident; on 27 August 1839 the ship called at Porto Praya, in the Cape Verde Islands, where some people from the ship caught Yellow Fever.  William Matthews, one of the men, dying on the 22 of September some 52 days out from London.

The 'Cuba' did not sail direct to Port Nicholson, but made landfall first on 23 December 1839 at Kaipara, then entered Port Hardy on 28 December, and then visited Kapiti, before at last being directed to Port Nicholson where they found Colonel Wakefield's settlement. The ship arrived outside Port Nicholson on the 3rd of January 1840 and entered the Harbour on the 4th, coming ashore at Petone, then known as Britannia.  Although the ship was in the harbour on the 4th Captain Mein-Smith's men continued to be Victualled on board until the 31 January.

The following list is a transcript of the original held at Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand.

List of men on 'Cuba' belonging to Captain Mein Smith

 

 

A list of men belonging to Capt Smith surveyor General New Zealand Land Company Victualled on

 

 

board "Cuba" John Newcombe Master at the allowances established by the  Masters Instructions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No on Ships

Time of entries

at what Place

Names

when

at what Place

No of Days

 

Books

 

Embarked

 

Disembarked

 

Victualled

 

1

July 31st 1839

West India Docks

John Bennett

January 31st 1840

Port Nicholson

185

 

2

"

London

Michael Shannon

"

New Zealand

185

 

3

"

"

Charles Stichbury

"

"

185

 

4

"

"

Michael Lee

"

"

185

 

5

"

"

Robt Wythe*

"

"

185

 

6

"

"

George Bolton Batten

"

"

185

 

7

"

"

Charles Webb

"

"

185

 

8

"

"

Charles  Wm Keys

"

"

185

 

9

"

"

Richard Grigg

"

"

185

 

10

"

"

John Stratford

"

"

185

 

11

"

"

George Olds

"

"

185

 

12

"

"

John Davis

"

"

185

 

13

"

"

John Hart

"

"

185

 

14

"

"

Arthur Hayward

"

"

185

 

15

"

"

Edward Anderson

"

"

185

 

16

"

"

William Matthews

Died 22nd Sept 1839 at sea

54

 

17

"

"

William Heaphy

January 31st 1840

Port Nicholson

185

 

18

"

"

George Bennett

"

"

185

 

19

"

"

Henry Jackson

"

"

185

 

20

"

"

James Storah

"

"

185

 

21

"

"

William Allen

"

"

185

 

22

"

"

Joseph Twigg

"

"

185

 

 

          These are to Certify that the Twenty two men before mentioned belonging to Captain Wm M Smith

 

 

          were actually Victualled on board the Cuba John Newcombe Master according, to their several

 

 

  entries and discharges both days inclusive at the allowances established by the Masters Instructions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

W  M  Smith

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Surveyor General

*When passengers were required to sign their name Robert signed his as “Whyt”