New Zealand. She was followed from Gravesend, London, by Oriental, the first of five 500-ton immigrant ships hired by the company. She returned to England in early 1840. In September 1840 she was in Sydney under Captain Newcombe with a cargo of gunpowder. She then sailed for Port Nicholson on 7 November. Through to 1844 she regularly sailed between London and Sydney. Duke of Roxburgh Duke of Roxborough was a 417-ton sailing ship under Captain James Thomson. She was among a group of ships carrying settlers that were to rendezvous at Port Hardy on Durville Island on 10 January 1840. They were sent after Oriental. The other vessels in the group were Adelaide, Aurora, and Bengal Merchant, plus a freight vessel, Glenbervie. At the rendezvous they were be told of their final destination. Duke of Roxburgh was carrying 167 settlers. George Hunter, Wellington's first mayor was one of the settlers. Essex Essex, a 305-ton barque (originally 288 ton; 329 tons in some sources) built at Sunderland in 1840 and owned by Soames of London. She sailed under Captain Henry Oakley and arrived in New Plymouth with 115 settlers on 25 January 1843. New Plymouth at the time was described as a collection of raupo and pitsawn timber huts housing almost 1000 Europeans. She returned to Australia in 1843 and sailed for Lombok from Sydney. She was again in Australia, having sailed from London with cargo, in 1847 and 1850. Fifeshire Fifeshire was a 587-ton bargue built a Sunderland in 1841 with a yellow metal covered hull. Her owner was J Pirie of London. Under Captain Arnold, she sailed from West India Dock, London on 26 September 1841. It was one of four ships hired by the New Zealand Company in 1841. The others were Lord Auckland under Captain Jardine, Mary Ann under Captain Bolton, and Lloyds under Captain Green. Fifeshire was the first to arrive on 1 February 1842. It ran aground and was wrecked on Arrow Rock while leaving Nelson. George Fyfe George Fyfe was a 444-ton (originally 436 tons. 460 tons in some sources) yellow metal sheathed barque built at Leith in 1839 and owned by Small & Co. On her maiden voyage under Captain George Pyke, she sailed from Tobermorey to Sydney, arriving at Sydney on 24 January 1840 with 178 immigrants. Pyke sailed again from London via Plymouth on 24 March 1841 arriving at Melbourne on