1806.

As a compliment to Te Pahi Governor King presented him with a silver medal inscribed:

“Presented by Governor King to Tip-a-he, a Chief of New Zealand, during his visit at Port Jackson, in January, 1806" [And on the reverse]: “In the reign of George the Third, by the Grace of God King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland."

Tools and iron implements of various kinds were given him out of the Government stores, and he was also loaded up with great quantities of presents from private individuals.

When it came to near the time of the return of the New Zealanders to their native home, King ordered the Lady Nelson for the service, and, to gain what information he could of New Zealand and her people, directed Mr. MacMillan, the surgeon of H.M.S. Buffalo, with some others, to proceed in the Lady Nelson and remain with Te Pahi for some months in order to study his surroundings. This scheme was stopped, much to Te Pahi's disappointment, by King hearing that he was to be relieved, and, not knowing what service the Buffalo might be required for, thinking it inadvisable to send any of her men away. After a residence of some three months in Sydney Te Pahi sailed for New Zealand on 24th February 1806.

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On 7th April the Argo returned to Sydney from the fishery, and Captain Bader reported that he had met the Aurora, Captain Merritt, at Norfolk Island; she had just come from Peru and was proceeding to the coast of New Zealand. The Richard and Mary had been spoken several times by Captain Bader off the New Zealand coast. Other vessels which had been seen were the Brothers, at Norfolk Island, and the Betsy, off New Zealand.

The last named vessel had had a singular experience:

“She had unfortunately put into Conception [Coast of Chili] after the declaration of war against Spain [12th December 1804] had taken place not being apprised of that event; and being permitted to come to anchor, Capt. Richardson was invited on shore; where he was instantly made prisoner with his whole boat's crew. The chief officer hastily summoned the ship's company to their quarters, and was unanimously supported in the declaration of selling their liberty as dearly as possible. Their preparations for standing out to sea being discerned, a fire upon the vessel commenced from the shore, which was returned with such spirit and efficacy, that they accomplished their gallant undertaking, but with what loss, if any, exclusive of the master and boat's crew, Capt. Bader is unacquainted. She went then to the Gallipagoes [Galapagos Ils., 650 miles W. of Equador, S. America], where the chief officer dying, the command devolved to the second, whose wish was to visit this place [Sydney]; but many of the crew opposing this, and being in other respects unruly, she is supposed to have gone to England."

Captain Bader visited the Bay of Islands on 18th March, but the Lady Nelson had not yet reached that port with Te Pahi, and the place was deserted.

Captain Simmonds was no less than five weeks taking Te Pahi in the Lady Nelson down to his residence at the Bay of Islands. As a result of this protracted voyage the commander was unable to prolong his stay, and left after the page 108 expiration of only five days. During that time all the chief's treasures were landed in safety, and a European house, which had been sent out in frame, was erected on one of the most advantageously situated islands in the Bay. The hurry and bustle which must have marked the stay of the Lady Nelson at the Bay of Islands did not cause the Chief to forget suitable returns for the hospitality he had received at Port Jackson, and great quantities of valuable native curios, some fine seed potatoes, and some equally fine spars, testified to the pleasure he had experienced in Sydney and to the fact that the Port Jackson hospitality had not been misplaced.

Largely through the influence of King, first as Lieutenant Governor of Norfolk Island, and, later on, as Governor of New South Wales, contemporaneous with the development of the whaling trade, grain and animals had been transported to New Zealand to enable the Natives to cultivate the one and grow the others, and thus furnish fresh food supplies for the whalers. This policy had proved so successful, that, less and less, shipping had come to rely upon Sydney for refreshments, and, more and more, resorted to the Bay of Islands. Now Te Pahi had visited King, formed as it were a treaty of intimate personal friendship with him, and returned to establish himself at the Bay, in a house of European make, and surrounded by European implements. Everything augured well for the Bay of Islands, and for the British, Australian, and American whalers, sealers, and timber traders, who resorted thither.