 The "Tory" was the first of three New Zealand Company surveyor ships sent off in haste to prepare for settlers in New Zealand.In August the "Cuba", with a surveyors' team headed by Captain William Mein Smith, R.A., set sail, and a month later—still with no word on the success of the "Tory" and "Cuba"—on 15 September 1839 it was followed from Gravesend, London, by the "Oriental", the first of five 500-ton immigrant ships hired by the company.Following the "Oriental" were the "Aurora, Adelaide, Duke of Roxburgh" and "Bengal Merchant", plus a freight vessel, the "Glenbervie", which all sailed with instructions to rendezvous on 10 January 1840 at Port Hardy on d'Urville Island where they would be told of their final destination.