Voyage of the Timandra
Fatal Success - A History of the New Zeaqland Company
"....Dr George Forbes, who sailed from Plymouth for New Plymouth on the Timandra that
same year, reported a quiet cabin and in the steerage 'a little Ireland or hell of
swearing, filth, theft and pilfering'. In despair, he drew up 'a new code of
Regulations', and did his best to enforce them despite his passengers' tendency 'to do
nothing from morn till night but make puddings, compositions of bacon & fat, eat &
cook, eternally eating, cooking, baking ....'. some nearly killed themselves and
their children 'by down right cramming'. They lived together,
Forbes wrote, 'not as a community, but everyone for himself, and himself for his belly.
Still the work is done - the routine followed out, andwill too, but with
difficulties.' There were good men among them, 'at present eclipsed, as the
Brookings, Harrison, Allan, Treweek, Clare, Vercoes, Prout'."