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TWELVE MONTHS' RESIDENCE
IN
NEW ZEALAND;
CONTAINING.
A CORRECT DESCRIPTION
OF
THE CUSTOMS, MANNERS, &c,
OF THE
NATIVES OF THAT ISLAND,
WITH OTHER
INFORMATION VALUABLE TO EMIGRANTS.
BY JOHN WALTON ,
Who resided in the Island during the Years 1837 and 1838.
"I am confident that if Colonized on right principles, New Zealand will one day be the Great Britain of the Southern Hemisphere."--Dr Lang.
GLASGOW: W. R. M'PHUN, PUBLISHER, 86, TRONGATE;
N. H. COTES, LONDON; W. WHITE & CO., EDINBURGH.
1839.
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[INTRODUCTION]
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INTRODUCTION.
AS my readers are no otherwise interested in my personal history than with respect to the fact of my residence in New Zealand, I will not obtrude on them a long narrative of my adventures; suffice it to say, that in the summer of last year I arrived in my native country, after being absent from it upwards of four years, during which period I visited a considerable part of the world. Animated by an irrepressible curiosity to see mankind under a phasis so widely different from that artificial construction of society which they present in a state of civilization, I was not a little gratified on being permitted to go with the William Stovald, Captain Davidson, which sailed from Leith for the purpose of engaging in the South Sea whale fishery. The vessel was very successful, and disposed of several valuable cargoes of sperm oil in New South Wales and other places. We visited Van Dieman's Land from which I brought home with me a very curious amphibious animal, bred in the fresh water rivers of that country. We also touched at the Friendly and Tanga islands, from one of which I brought a tomahawk. From Otaheite, where the natives, who are the best swimmers I ever saw, were at great pains to teach me that useful art, I brought some beautiful shells; from Tangataboo a specimen of the cloth fabricated by the natives; and from New Zealand a mantle worn by the higher class of females, and a dressing-box of native workmanship.
From the Bay of Islands, in New Zealand, where the vessel had been fishing, she sailed with her cargo in the prosecution of her design, and was not to return to it for a considerable time. Being very desirous of sojourning for some time in New Zealand, I resolved on remaining in that country till the vessel came back, which, owing to various circumstances, she did not do till nearly a twelvemonth, and I had thus an opportunity
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of making myself personally acquainted with the objects which I have attempted to describe.
To my own testimony in behalf of New Zealand as a field for colonization, I have added that of a number of gentlemen, whose knowledge of the country 1 was obtained, like mine, from personal residence and investigation.
To render the publication interesting, not only to the emigrant but to the general reader, I have added a sketch of the discovery, habits, customs, and manners of New Zealand, and of the features which more peculiarly and prominently distinguish the character of its aboriginal inhabitants.
