Steve Gardham wrote: I think we have the actual story now, but as Bob says it would be nice to have the original to knock it dead. Thanks a million, Mike!

I agree, both in the belief and in the thanks -- but I do want to prove it. Apart from finding the book, I'd like to see if that text matches the Song of a Young Country text. And we also have the mystery of exactly what "Frank Wood" of Wairoa had to do with all of this.

I've now added something listed (probably slightly incorrectly) as
New Zealand Journal 1842-1844 of John B. Williams Salem MA American Whaling to my books to search. Still haven't found an accessible copy of the Reed book.