Previously that year, on August 22, Pelorus had anchored in Oyster Bay at Port Underwood to take on supplies and to gain any knowledge of the area from settlers. Captain Harding was ill, so his duties were taken over by Lt. Phillip Chetwode.
Being in need of a pilot, he found John Guard.
"Jackie" Guard was an ex-convict transported to Melbourne from Marylebone parish, London, in 1814 (he had stolen a quilt!) He became a seaman and for his bravery in a rescue was rewarded with the command of a sealer.
Lt. Chetwode took Guard on board to explore the river the natives called "Orieri"...he had once sheltered there from a storm. Pelorus entered the Sound on Sept.1 and sailed up it for 60km where the water shallowed. Chetwode and a crew explored the river in a pinnace. David Craigie, the mate on the Pelorus, produced the first chart of the area, which Lt. Chetwode renamed Pelorus River and Pelorus Sound to honor his ship.
"In 1838 H M Brig of War Pelorus visited different parts of Cook Strait and did great service by rendering justice to the injured party in many cases where complaint was made to the Commander. After a display of gunnery close to the Pa at Ships Cove the Commander demanded and obtained restitution of many articles stolen over a long period from the whalers."
"For about three weeks the vessel was busily employed in curbing hostile acts and gestures by whalers and natives in Queen Charlotte Sound, Mana Island and Kapiti and on 24th September she sailed for her base in Sydney. On December 21st 1838 she returned to New Zealand, anchoring in the Bay of Islands. On board was Bishop Broughton (Anglican Bishop of Australia). " (This account from New Zealand's Naval Story)
The 18 gun, 385 ton brig-sloop HMS Pelorus was constructed in Itchenor, England and launched on June 25th 1808.
Her first duties were during the Napoleonic wars; in particular, she took part in the blockading of Guadalupe.
On Oct.16, 1809, when Pelorus and HMS Hazard were off Point-a-Petre, Guadaloupe, they spotted a privateer schooner moored under the battery at St Mary's.
While Pelorus destroyed the battery with her gunfire, Lieut. Edward Flinn from Pelorus and Lieut. Roberts of Hazard took both ships' boats in and managed to board the schooner. They were unable to move her so instead they blew her up.
Unfortunately, Lieut. Flinn was badly hurt and the Pelorus suffered three men killed and five wounded.
In Feb. of 1810, Pelorus was part of Sir Alexander Cochrane's force during the reduction of Guadaloupe.
In 1831 William Wilberforce's anti-slavery bill was passed, whereupon Pelorus took on the task of arresting slave-trading ships off the coast of Africa.
Slavers taken included:
1832 Segunda Teresa, Lieut. Phillip de Sausmares in charge of prize. He was later court-martialed, and then exonerated, for severely punishing Francis Brown for neglect of duty in going against Capt. Meredith's orders.
1834 Sutil and 1835 Minerva (bounty on both vessels paid June 1836)
1835 Unknown slaver; she kept unloading her slaves on shore whenever Pelorus approached her. Finally, in exasperation, Capt. Meredith reloaded the slaves and took the ship as a prize to Sierra Leone. The court released her and Meredith was heavily fined for his illegal action.
In 1837 she was sent to western Australia and Van Diemen's Land, and in August to New Zealand to conduct a survey of the Marlborough Sound region.
On December 16th, 1837, HMS Pelorus, under command of Commander Harding, called at Cocos (Keeling) island and stayed for six days.
Captain John Clunies-Ross, in charge of the island, had a possible revolt on his hands and had visited the Admiralty asking for the Commander of the next naval vessel to call at the Cocos to sort it out, which was duly attended to by Harding.
Clunies-Ross was earlier slammed by Darwin and Fitzroy as they considered his people to be no better than slaves, however Harding refuted this claim and stood by Clunies-Ross. Admittedly, the people did gain a good wage increase and some better conditions, during Harding's visit.
