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”