Evidence Atlas
Read the story. Examine the record. Follow what remains unknown. This atlas connects the library’s key numbers and named vessels without turning uncertainty into invented facts.
Long Point: three recorded seasons
| Year | Boats | Oil (tuns) | Whalebone | Read the record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1840 | 5 | 44 | 57 cwt | Fraser’s Long Point station |
| 1841 | 6 | 172 | 8 tons | |
| 1842 | Not established here | 7 | 7 cwt |
These are reported station returns as presented in the library’s Prickett-based account, not totals for the whole Kāpiti region. Oil and bone have different units; do not add them. The cause of the 1842 decline is not established by these totals.
Eleven ships off Kāpiti, 1837
The following names and masters are reproduced from Whale Song’s 2025 secondary transcription, p.16, for the period 25 August–12 October 1837. Individual arrival dates, catches and cargoes have not been verified against original notices.
| Vessel | Recorded master | Evidence level |
|---|---|---|
| Persian | Hopton | Modern transcription; original entry pending |
| Dublin Packet | Clayton | Modern transcription; original entry pending |
| Roslyn Castle | Richards | Modern transcription; original entry pending |
| Marianne | Mansford | Modern transcription; original entry pending |
| Isabella | Maughan | Modern transcription; original entry pending |
| Caroline | Cherry | Modern transcription; original entry pending |
| Sea Witch | Newson | Modern transcription; original entry pending |
| Louisa | Hayward | Modern transcription; original entry pending |
| Samuel Cunard | Not recorded | Modern transcription; original entry pending |
| Bee | Gluvins | Modern transcription; original entry pending |
| Taiaroa | Hempleman | Modern transcription; original entry pending |
Read the 1837 story · Full known-vessels register
Long Point maritime scene
Justine, William Wallace, Susannah Ann and John Dunscombe are named in the library’s account of Wakefield’s description. The reported loss of John Dunscombe in a south-easterly gale requires the original dated account and corroborating notices.
Explore four vessels at Long Point
People, places and the gaps in records
Account books are selective: they record transactions, not necessarily every person whose labour or trade sustained the coast. Read Puketapu history alongside coastal exchange. Culturally sensitive details require hapū guidance before publication.
How to investigate further
Recover the earliest dated source; transcribe names, numbers and units without silent corrections; note the repository and stable link; compare other contemporary sources; then identify which claims are confirmed, contested or still unknown. See the Documentary Source Trail.
Editorial research guide, G88. No new primary-source verification is claimed.