The Sun.
London, England, 1809-12-22 00:00:00

CURIOUS ADVENTURE.

CALCUTTA, MAY t o.—A Princesseaf New Zealand,
one of the daughters of Tippahee, has, arrived with-
in these few days, in Calcutta, accompanied by her
husband, an Englishman ofthe-eame of 'Bruce. As
'the adventures of this- couple are curious; and have
ex. it. d° a pretty general interest, our duty to our
readers required thar we should colle6t some authen-
tic outline of their story; its' principal points, we
believe, are embraced in the subjoined narrative :
George Bruce, son of 'John Bruce, foreman and
clerk to Mr. Wood, distiller, at Lirdehobse, was
kite in the parish Of Radcliffe-highway, in inn.-
lo tneo he entered on board the Royal Admiral
East ludiaman, Captain Bond, as Boatswain's boy.
from England for New South Wales, and ar-
rived at,POTt Jackson in 1790, where, with the con-
saot of ,Captain Bond, 'he quitted the ship, and-re-
mained at New South Wales. ° •
At Port Jackson Bruce entered into the'paval co-
lonial service, and was employed for several years
ender Lieutenants Robins, Flinders, and others, in
exploring the coastS, surveying harbours, head-.lands,
roc ks, ta. During this MIR: Bruce experienced va-
riens.adventures, which "do not come within the de-
' sign of this narrative. Alter being thus employed
iinreseleral years, in vessels of survey, he was turn-
ed over. to the Lady , Afels-on, Captain- Simmonds , a
vessel fitted-up for the express purpose of conveying
Tippahee,, King of New Zealand, from-a visit Which
he made to the Governtnent of Port Jackson, to his-
own country. The King embarked, and the Lady,
Al'elson sailed on her destination. During the pas--
sage, Tipeaahee *as taken dangarously ill, and Bruce
Wai appointed to, attend him; he acquitted himself
so highly to the li..ingis'sa:istattion, that he was•ho-
-
neered with his special favour ; anda on their arrival,
the-King requested that he should be allowed fo re-'
*main with him at New Zealand, to which Captain
Simmonds consented, and Bruce was received into
the family of Tippaitee.
_ - Brnee spent his fir-stlew months in New Zealand
in exploring the country, and in acquiring a know-
ledge of the language, manners, and customs of
tne ,peOpha. -He found the country healthy and
pleasant, fuall of,romantic scenery, agreeably dives-
billed by hills and dales, and covered with wood.
The people' were hospitable, frank, and open ;
timugh rude andignoraor, yet worshipping neither
images nor. idols, nor auglit that is die work of hu-
man hands ; acknowledging one Omnipotent-Su-
preme-Being. ,
. As the King proposed to place the young English-
man at the head of his army, it was a previously
necessary step that' he shoUld be tattowed, as, with-
, t nt ,having undergone that ceremeny, he could not
be regarded as, a mfarrior. The case was mg.-In,,
and admitted of no alternative. He therefore ante-
inittcd resolutely to this painful ceremony ; and
' coUntenance presents a. master specunen Of the
_ art. of tattoWing.
Being now tattowed in due -form, Bruce was re-,
bronzed as a warrior of the first tank, nawralized
a, a New Zealander, received into the bosom ot the
King's family, and honoured with the hard•of the
Aetockoe, tie youngest daughter of Tippa7
lice, a maiden of 15 or 16 years of age, -whose na-
tive beauty had probably been great, but which etas
been ,so much improved by the fashionable embel-
)ishrneumof art, that-all the softer charms of nature,
all the sweetness of expression, are lost in the bolder
'impressions of tattowing.
Bruce now became the chief member of the
family, and was, ves-red with the Government
'of the Island.. Six or eight months after his mar-
riage, the English ships- hispeaor, the' Ferret, a
South Sea Whaler, and several other English ves-
sels, touched at New Zealand for supplies, and. all,
of them found the* beneficial influence of having a
countryman and 'friend at the head of affairs in that
;island. They were liberally supplied with fish,
vegetables, &c. BcC.
Our Englishman and his wife were now content-
ed and 'happy, in' the full enjoyment of domestic
comfort, with nn wants that were ungratified, bless-,
.0d• with health and perfect independenCe. , Bruce
'.rooked forward with satisfaaion to the larto-gresa of
_civilization, which he expthed to introduce among'
the people with whom, by a singular destiny, he
- seemed doomed to remain during his life. While
enjoying these hopes, the ship General Wellesley,
about 12 or 14 months ago, touched at a point el-
New Zealand, where 'Bruce and his wife , then
chanced to be. This ;was at some distance from the
- 'King's place of residence. Captain Dalrymple ap-
plied to Bruce to assist him in procuring a cargo of
• . spars and benjamin, and 'requested -specimens of
the principal articles of produce of the island, all
which was cheerfolly ,done. Captain Dalrymple
then proposed fo Brece to accompany him to North
Cape, distant 'about twenty-five or thirty leagues,
where it was reported that gold dust could be pro-
cured, and Captain Dalrymple conceived that Bruce
might prove useful to hint in the search for the gold
dust. With great relutlance, and aster many en-
-treaties, Bruce consented to accompany Captain Dal-
rymple, under the most
_solemn assurances of being
safely brought back and landed at the'Bay of Islands.
'He accordingly embarked with his wife on board the
6eneral Ifellesley, representing, at the same time,
to Captain Dalrymple, the dangerous consequences
of taking the King's daughter from the island ; but
that fear was quieted by' the solemn' and repeated
assurances of Captain Dalrymple, that he would, at
every hazard, re-land them et the Bay of Islands;
the- place 'from which they embarked. Being at
length all on board, the Wellesley sailed for the
North Cape, where they soon arrived and landed.
Yiudiilg that they had been entirely naisinfotmed as
to The gold dust, the -Ikllesley made sail, in order
to return to New Zealand—but the wind becoming
foul, and continuing so for 43 hours, they were
driven from the island. -On the ad day the wind
became more favourable, but Capt. Dalrymple did
eat attempt AO regain the island, but stood on for
Bruce now gently, remonstrated; and ree
miin'ed him° of his ,promises ; to which Captain
p,,bymple replied,. That he- had something 'else
to think of, than . to detain, the- ship, by return-
veith a valuable cargo to the island. Be-
se.ies., he had another and better island in view for
Elves