But in the South China Seas another bubble is about to burst. Final farewells – those we lost in 2013. Whicker's World is a British television documentary series that ran from 1958 to 1994, presented by journalist and broadcaster Alan Whicker. Originally a segment on. History of Norfolk Island - Wikipedia. The Norfolk Island convict settlement today. WHICKER'S SOUTH SEAS (1973) IMDB: tt0224990. No Plot Summary for this video WATCH ONLINE; WATCH TRAILER. Within A Woman's World (1972), Whicker Way Out West (1973), Whicker's South Seas (1973), Whicker's World Down Under (1976), Whicker's World: A Fast Boat to China. Grand Prix (1966 film). South Seas Adventure.The history of Norfolk Island dates back to the fourteenth or fifteenth century when it was settled by Polynesian seafarers. Early history. They arrived in the fourteenth or fifteenth century, and survived for several generations before disappearing. Their main village site has been excavated at Emily Bay, and they also left behind stone tools, the Polynesian rat, and banana trees as evidence of their sojourn. The harakeke (Phormium tenax), or New Zealand flax plant, was brought to Norfolk Island either from New Zealand directly or from Raoul Island (Sunday Island) by these Polynesian settlers. The final fate of the early settlers remains a mystery. He named it after the Duchess of Norfolk (c. The Duchess was dead at the time of the island's sighting by Cook, but Cook had set out from England in 1. May 1. 77. 3 death. Cook went ashore on Tuesday 1. October 1. 77. 4, and is said to have been impressed with the tall straight trees and New Zealand flax plants, which, although not related to the Northern Hemisphere flax plants after which they are named, produce fibres of economic importance. He took samples back to Britain and reported on their potential uses for the Royal Navy. Andrew Kippis as the biographer of this voyage puts it as follows: As the Resolution pursued her course from New Caledonia, land was discovered, which, on a nearer approach, was found to be an island, of good height, and five leagues in circuit. Captain Cook named it Norfolk Isle, in honour of the noble family of Howard(Fn.: It is situated in the latitude of 2. It was uninhabited; and the first persons that ever set foot on it were unquestionably our English navigators. Various trees and plants were observed that are common at New Zealand; and in particular, the flax plant, which is rather more luxuriant here than in any other part of that country. The chief produce of the island is a kind of spruce pine, exceedingly straight and tall, which grows in great abundance. Such is the size of many of the trees that, breast high, they are as thick as two men can fathom. Among the vegetables of the place, the palm- cabbage afforded both a wholesome and palatable refreshment; and, indeed, proved the most agreeable repast that our people had for a considerable time enjoyed.. At the time, Britain was heavily dependent on flax (Linum usitatissimum) (for sails) and hemp (Cannabis sp.) (for ropes) from the shores of the Baltic Sea ports. Any threat to their supply endangered Britain's sea power. The alternative source of Norfolk Island for these, (or in the case of flax and hemp, similar) supplies is argued by some historians, notably Geoffrey Blainey in Tyranny of Distance, as being a major reason for the founding of the convict settlement of New South Wales by the First Fleet in 1. James Cook said that, . The Climate, Soil, and Sea provide everything that can be expected from them. The Timber, Shrubs, Vegetables and Fish already found there need no Embellishment to pronounce them excellent samples; but the most invaluable of all is the Flax- plant, which grows more luxuriant than in New Zealand. Though unaware of the British intention to settle Norfolk Island, which was not announced until 5 December 1. Forster referred to . The trees are so big and tall that a single tree is enough to make a mast of a first rate man of war. New Zealand produces in addition flax, which is an object equally of utility and curiosity. Any quantity of it might be raised in the colony, as this plant grows naturally in New Zealand. It can be made to serve the various purposes of cotton, hemp and linen, and is easier manufactured than any of them. In naval affairs, it could not fail of being of the utmost consequence; a cable of ten inches (2. European hemp of eighteen inches. The flax and ship timber of New Zealand were attractive, but these prospective advantages were balanced by the obvious impossibility of forming a settlement there in the face of undoubted opposition from the native Maori. Hence the ultimate decision for a dual colonization along the lines proposed by Call. The decision to settle Norfolk Island was taken under the impetus of the shock Britain had just received from Empress Catherine II of Russia. Practically all the hemp and flax required by the Royal Navy for cordage and sailcloth was imported from the Russian dominions through the ports of St. Petersburg (Kronstadt) and Riga. Comptroller of the Navy Sir Charles Middleton explained to Prime Minister Pitt in a letter of 5 September 1. Masts can be procured from Nova Scotia, and Iron in plenty from the Ores of this Country; but as it is impracticable to carry on a Naval War without Hemp, it is materially necessary to promote the growth of it in this Country and Ireland. Norfolk Island was thereby brought officially within the bounds of the projected colony. An article in The Daily Universal Register (the forerunner of The Times) of 2. December 1. 78. 6 revealed the plan for a dual colonization of Norfolk Island and Botany Bay: . England will speedily be enabled to draw from her colony of New South Wales, the staple of Russia, hemp and flax. This could only have been a reference to the expedition then in the Pacific commanded by Jean- Fran. The Daily Universal Register of 1. November 1. 78. 6 had stated: . This may have been a reference to a report from the British Ambassador in Paris, who had believed that when La P. He had instructions to investigate any colonies the British may have established and learned of the intention to settle Botany Bay and Norfolk Island from despatches sent to him from Paris through St. Petersburg and by land across Siberia to Petropavlovsk in Kamchatka, where he received them on 2. September 1. 78. 7, just four days before his departure from that port. They arrived on 6 March 1. During the first year of the settlement, which was also called . A second village was started at Ball Bay, named after the captain of HMS Supply, Lieutenant Henry Lidgbird Ball. On 8 January 1. 78. Norfolk King, the son of Philip Gidley King and a convict, Ann Inett. Lieutenant King, who was sent with a detachment of marines and some convicts, to settle there, gives the most flattering portrayal of it. The island is fully wooded. Its timber is in the opinion of everyone the most beautiful and finest in the world.. The New Zealand flax- plant grows there in abundance. European grains and seeds also thrive wonderfully well on Norfolk Island. It only lacks a good port and suitable landing places, without which the island is of no use, but with them it would be of the greatest importance for Great Britain. How far these deficiencies can be improved by art and the hand of man, time must decide. Towards North and West the hill is covered with the most beautiful ploughed fields all the way down to the sea. The sight of these great flax fields is one of the loveliest I ever beheld. The slender stalks, of the most beautiful green and reaching far above a man. Their red blossoms, shining like rubies, danced in the green waves. The top of the hill and the whole of the south and east sides are covered with enormous pines whose dark green is enhanced by a pleasant foreground of cabbage palms and banana trees, and I also observed a low bush among them the fruit of which resembles our red currants but is much larger and hangs in purple and red clusters that help to give the whole a gay appearance. The dwellings of the colonists are strewn along the fringes of the forest and from my post I could see several of them. Simple houses surrounded by barns and stalls and the fields all enclosed with hedges give the region a youthful appearance the like of which is rarely found in Europe. And plants here bloom more luxuriantly and more perfectly with a natural vigour that knows no exhaustion and fears no poverty, a vigour that has disappeared from our continent. An attempt was made to bring two M. The pine timber was found to be not resilient enough for masts and this industry was also abandoned. More convicts were sent, and the island was seen as a farm, supplying Sydney with grain and vegetables during its early years of near- starvation. However, crops often failed. The lack of a natural safe harbour hindered communication and the transport of supplies and produce. Manning Clark observed that . These included an attempted overthrow of King in January 1. Margaret Hazzard as . While some convicts responded well to the opportunities offered to become respectable, most remained . This attempt to relieve the pressure on Sydney turned to disaster when Sirius was wrecked and, although there was no loss of life, some stores were destroyed, and the ship's crew was marooned for ten months. This news was met in Sydney with . Many convicts chose to remain as settlers on the expiry of their sentence, and the population grew to over 1,0. Norfolk Island in 1. Josef Espinosa y Tello, an officer of the Spanish expedition led by Alessandro Malaspina that visited New South Wales. The colony of Norfolk, settled shortly after that at Port Jackson, merits little attention both because of the small size of that island and because of the hilly nature of its terrain, and the particular circumstance of its lacking entirely an anchorage or a place where longboats can be drawn up with any security. Despite this, some 1,5. The pines are of a prodigious height, straight, thick and of the finest grain, and several have been felled of above 7 feet in diameter at the foot, six at 1. The flax brought there from New Zealand bears a good aspect, but no great hopes are rested on its cultivation, and it seems that the second trials of this plant made in London have not achieved the happy outcome of the first. When Joseph Foveaux arrived as Lieutenant Governor in 1. This was achieved more slowly than anticipated, due to reluctance of settlers to uproot themselves from the land they had struggled to tame, and compensation claims for loss of stock.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
December 2016
Categories |