Ancienne Maison de Campagne de Koro-Koro.

Scarce c.19th view of present day Paroa Bay from the voyage of exploration under the command of Dumont D’Urville.

Korokoro was the chief of the area, who had died in 1823, several years prior to the arrival of the French explorers. Three Maori stand in the foreground actively engaged in conversation, behind them the houses referred to in the title can be seen. A boat is pulled up on the shore line, presumably the Astrolabe, and figures can be seen on the beach nearby.

D’Urville had sailed from Port Jackson on 19.12.26 and sighted the south coast of New Zealand on 10 ^th  January 1827 near the site of present day Greymouth. Although his instructions were to carry out a little charting in Cook Strait, D’Urville’s plan was much more ambitious – he was to chart at least half of the coast of New Zealand, thereby providing a clear challenge to the supposition that Cook’s survey had placed the islands firmly in the British Domain. He chartered the islands during January to March of 1827 from just south of Cape Foulwind (west coast of the South Island), past Farewell Spit, into Golden and Tasman Bays, through Cook Strait, and up the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand, from its southernmost to its northernmost point.

From D’Urville, Voyage of the Corvette Astrolabe Executed by Order of the King during the years 1826-1827-1828-1829, under the Command.

References:
Tooley, R.V. The Mapping of Australia. London 1979 530.
Ferguson, J. A. Bibliography of Australia Volumes 1-8, Canberra 1976 3184.
Hill, J. The Hill Collection of Pacific Voyages. San Diego 1974 508.

Collections:
National Library Australia: Bib ID 2926704
National Library New Zealand: Turnbull Collection, MapColl 832.11aj 1831 217