1817 - Nicholas, J. L. Narrative of a Voyage to New Zealand [Vol.I] - CHAPTER III

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CHAP. III.

Monday, December 5th. --The weather cloudy, with strong gales. Lat. 35 deg. 8" S. Long. 160 deg. 10" E.

Wishing to learn as much as possible of the character and peculiarities of our rude guests, I let no day pass without remarking

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whatever I thought worthy of observation; and was careful in attending to every little anecdote or incident which might tend to illustrate their turn of mind. I had frequent opportunities of gratifying this curiosity, and on this day I was amused with a witticism, which is quite characteristic of these people. Tui, whom I shall now introduce to the reader as the brother of Korra-korra, seeing me on deck this morning with my spectacles on, and looking at some birds which were flying about the ship, inquired, with an arch smile, if I could tickee tickee (see) the Brush Farm, my place of residence in New South Wales. As our distance from it at the time could not have been less than four hundred and fifty miles, this was considered an excellent joke by his countrymen, who laughed heartily at it; nor, indeed, did I think it myself a bad specimen of that sly sort of humour, in which they all seem to delight. Sallies too of the gayest mirth and pleasantry frequently break out among them, and I have never met a people who are less inclined to sullen retirement, or more disposed to social hilarity, in fact, they are never reserved, unless when they imagine themselves ill-treated, or conceive that some

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design has been formed to do them an injury; and, in these cases, their natural disposition immediately gives way to all the dark broodings of adventitious passions.

On many occasions, their mode of expression is emphatically significant. Duaterra, in telling us that it was impossible for a thief to escape punishment in New Zealand, (for if not detected by man, the all-seeing vigilance of the Deity was sure to discover him,) made use of the following remarkable words, which are not only forcible, but highly poetical. The Etua, (God) says he, rises upon him like a full moon, rushes upon him with the velocity of a falling star, and passes by him like a shot from the cannon's mouth. Such was the exact tenor of the expression he made use of, as nearly as I could collect it from the notion I had of his language; and I was forcibly struck with so extraordinary a description.

Tuesday, December 6th. --Fresh gales and hazy weather. Lat. 35 deg. 16" S. Long. 161" 32" E. Nothing particular occurred.

Wednesday, December 7th. --This has been one of the most disagreeable days I have ever experienced at sea; a continued calm, with incessant rain, and the ship rolling in a

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very heavy swell. My fellow-passengers and the crew become all sick again, and the New Zealanders, as on the former occasion, retreated to their sleeping places. Such has been the unfavourable state of the weather, that in four-and-twenty hours we have gained only nine miles. Lat. 35 deg. 19" S. Long. 162 deg. E.

Thursday, December 8th. --The weather clearer, but with intermitting squalls of wind from the South West. Lat. 35 deg. 14" S. Long. 163 deg. 41" E.

The stomachs of the New Zealanders experienced a salutary effect from the seasickness of the preceding day, for while all the other persons on board were still incapable of tasting a morsel, they were greedily devouring every thing they could find. Mr. Marsden, while suffering under a repetition of what he had before experienced, and lying stretched on his back in the long-boat, could not help envying the keenness of their appetite; when they approached the spot where he was, seizing every thing they could lay their hands upon, in the shape of food. However, they did not fail to heighten his disgust at the same time; for, going to a tub which lay in the corner of the boat, and con-

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tained all the loathsome garbage of the ship, which the cook had thrown into it, they began to feast themselves with a voracious eagerness, and shewed a liking for the treat, which plainly proved that their palates were not vitiated by their residence at Port Jackson. I have observed them particularly careful in looking out for such of the poultry as happened to die, and the intestines of the different animals that have been killed were never suffered to escape their vigilance; so that the shark, or any other prowler of the marine tribe, was never indebted to us for a single mouthful. But whatever credit this may do to the strength of their stomachs, it does very little to the cleanliness of their habits, and indeed this latter quality is not to be expected from persons of their description. Even in countries that are civilized, we frequently see the lower classes of the inhabitants delighting in dirt and nastiness; and who then can wonder, that the customs of wild barbarians should be offensive in this particular.

Friday, December 9th. --The weather has become clear and pleasant, and brought all our sick people to life again. Lat. 34 deg. 40" S. Long. 166 deg. 5" E.

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The New Zealanders evinced during this day, a more than usual degree of their native good humour. They amused themselves with dancing and singing from an early hour in the morning, and seemed to enjoy the change in the weather, as it allowed them to indulge under the open air in their favourite recreations. The genuine simplicity of Nature must ever be admired, and those lighter amusements which she spontaneously suggests, if properly regulated, tend rather to harmonize than corrupt our morals. It is only the abuse of them that is favourable to vice; and while we condemn the licentious song and lascivious waltz of fashionable revelry, we should never be inclined to censure the artless notes of innocent mirth or the lively dance of inoffensive gaiety.

All the songs of the New Zealanders are accompanied with a great deal of action, some of which is extremely graceful and becoming. I shall here subjoin specimens of three of them. The first which I shall notice is most commonly danced and sung at the same time, by three or four alternately; all standing in a line together, and joining in full chorus immediately before the conclusion. While in the chorus, they throw themselves

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into a variety of easy attitudes, but none of them have the least appearance of indelicacy that can possibly offend the most fastidious beholder. The subject of this song I could not get explained; however, to give the reader some idea of the music it contains, I have marked the parts where the voice rises and falls occasionally, and must observe that the notes, in my opinion, are both harmonious and agreeable. It runs thus:--

The subject of the following song, which I was more fortunate in ascertaining, betrays the emotions of the mind in its natural state, whenever the interest of the individual is particularly concerned. It describes the havoc occasioned by the violence of an east wind-- their potatoes are destroyed by it--they plant them again, and being more successful, they express their joy while taking them out of the ground, with the words, Ah kiki! ah kiki! ah kiki!--Eat away! eat away! eat away!

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which is the conclusion of the song. This is always sung at their festivals, and also at the time of planting their potatoes, when it is never omitted. It is generally accompanied with dancing, and the attitudes and movements represent the whole process of planting the potatoe, and afterwards of digging it out of the ground. I have marked the different inflections of the voice with all the attention I could possibly bestow on them, and have been also studious to collect the words as accurately as it was in my power,

The third song, which I subjoin, is never accompanied with dancing, and is a low, soft, and plaintive air; it is not without harmony,

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and has that similarity to our chanting, which I remarked before, when speaking of the music of these people. The subject is a man carving a canoe, when his enemies approach the shore in a canoe to attack him; endeavouring to conceal himself, he runs in among the bushes, but is pursued, overtaken, and immediately put to death. Many of the expressions in this song possess a remarkable degree of natural tenderness, and a kind of piteous melancholy runs through the whole of it. They sing it in parts alternately, and the effect is not uninteresting to the sympathetic philanthropist.

It is somewhat remarkable, that almost all

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the songs that are sung in New Zealand are composed by some tribes living in one part of the Island, called by Europeans the East Cape, the inhabitants of which seem alone to have engrossed the favour of the muses, and may be exclusively considered as the bards of their country.

Saturday, December 10th. --Fine pleasant weather. Wind S. and S. W. Lat. 34 deg. 36" S. Long. 167 deg. 44" E. The North Cape of New Zealand bearing S. 87 deg. E. distant 260 miles.

Korra-korra, with his imagination still turned to his favourite pursuit, gave us this morning an exhibition of his mode of warfare, and his plan of attacking his enemies. His gesticulations were, on this occasion, more furiously violent than ever I beheld them; he thrust out his tongue as far as it could go, tortured his countenance into all the horrible writhings of savage grimace, stamped on the deck like some raging fiend, and staring round him with the glare of the wildest frenzy in his eyes, he brought to our view the most hideous denizen of the infernal regions. His representation of taking revenge on his enemies was truly frightful to behold. After having pursued them in every

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direction, and got them completely in his power, he appeared as inflicting on them cruelties the most dreadful that can be imagined; nor even with their death was his vengeance satisfied; his fury still remained unabated,

When Captain Seddons, the commander of a merchant vessel, was in the Bay of Islands, he had this chief bound with ropes in his cabin, suspecting him to have stolen an auger that was missing; but Korra-korra became outrageously indignant at such treatment, and despising his fetters, instantly broke them in pieces. His next step was to knock down the Captain, while, jumping out of the cabin window, he swam to his canoe, from whence he darted a spear at the ship, and wounded one of the sailors. Seddons fired at the same instant, but fortunately missed him, at which he was afterwards well pleased, for it appeared, on further inquiry, that his suspicions were ill founded, and that this man had not been guilty of the offence which was imputed to him. Korra-korra related the whole circumstance to us himself, accompanying his narration with many ges-

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tures expressive of his mode of escape and being shot at; and in all these he evinced the same furious impetuosity that he displayed in the war exhibition.

Sunday, December 11th. -- The weather still clear and pleasant. Lat. 34 deg. 8" S. Long. 168 deg. 42" E.

Mr. Marsden performed divine service on deck, and there was no occurrence during the day of any particular consequence.

Monday, December 12th. --The weather changed and become cloudy with fresh breezes. Lat. 32 deg. 57" S. Long. 169 deg. 11" E.

Nothing worthy of notice happened on this day.

Tuesday, Dec. 13th. -- Fine weather returned again. Lat. 33 deg. 39" S. Long. 169 deg. 30" E.

Neither on this nor on the two preceding-days did the chiefs come on deck as usual, but remained shut up below in a state of seclusion; and on being asked the cause, the reason they assigned was their fears of being pillaged by the sailors of the presents they had received. Certainly the conduct of sailors in general in this respect is highly reprehensible, and I doubt not but ours afforded sufficient cause to excite the suspicions of our savage visitors.

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Wishing to appear once more in the dress of his native country, Duaterra threw off his European clothes and arrayed himself after the manner of the other New Zealanders. The dress he put on consisted of a large mat made of flax, which descended below his waist, and was fastened round it by a belt of the same material; another, tied round his neck, was thrown negligently over his right shoulder, and hung down, quite loose, like a Spanish cloak; and there being no other garment, these two completed the whole of his artless costume. The nearer he approached the shores of his native Island, the more alarming grew his fears, lest the hostile tribe of Wangeroa, the same that had so cruelly massacred the crew of the Boyd, might have taken occasion of his absence to make war upon his people. In the event of such an occurrence, he announced his intention of collecting all the forces he could muster, and proceeding immediately with a fleet of war canoes to Wangeroa, to destroy all the inhabitants that should come in his way. Superstition added still more to his fears, and served to realize in idea all the evils he apprehended. His friends, he said, were extremely averse to his leaving them, and his

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head wife in particular, who at the time of his departure, expected every hour to add another member to his family. Besides, the priest assured him that if he should set out on so inauspicious an expedition, and contrary to the wishes of all his friends, either the death of his favourite wife, or some dire calamity to his tribe, would certainly happen during his absence. Reflecting that he had persisted in departing against these portentous declarations, his mind became more and more agitated as he drew nearer to the scene of them, and an anxious suspense taking possession of all his thoughts, left him no room for tranquillity or confidence.

Wednesday, December 14th. --The weather extremely fine. Lat. 34 deg. 00" S. Long. 170 deg. 27" E. Flocks of gannets and petrels flying round the ship in all directions. Hope to see New Zealand to-morrow.

Nothing happened on this day that I think worth communicating to the reader, nor on the following, though for the sake of regularity I shall insert it.

Thursday, December 15th. -- Pleasant weather with fresh breezes. Lat. 34 deg. 31" S. Long. 172 deg. 8" E.

Three Kings bearing N.E. by N. Distance 2 Leagues
Three Kings bearing E. distance 1/2 Miles
Cape Maria bearing N.W. Distance 2 Leagues
Cape Brett bearing S.E. Distance 2 Leagues
Cape Brett bearing N.W. Distance 1/2 Mile.

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Friday, December 16th. --On this day a greater number of the above-mentioned birds surrounded the ship on every side, and they seemed to increase, the closer we approached the place of our destination.

At seven A. M. the three small islands, called the Three Kings, appeared in sight, and at noon we sailed past them. In approaching them, they present to the eye a most picturesque appearance; having in a line with them some chequered rocks of a rude figure, which first attract the attention of the beholder, while his view is next directed to the little islands themselves, which offer scenes of romantic wildness worthy the fanciful pencil of a Claude or a Salvator. They are all uninhabited, and the largest is said to have both pigs and goats running wild upon it. A singular circumstance respecting these little islands, is, that they abound in the centepede, which reptile is entirely unknown in New Zealand, though only fifteen miles distant. In passing these islands, it was curious to see the address of the gannets and other birds in darting on the fish, and taking them off as they rose to the surface of the water: our people were highly amused with this spectacle.

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Our voyage was now drawing near its termination, and soon after we cleared the Three Kings, we had the pleasure to find the north-western part of New Zealand opening on our view. This part, named by Tasman Cape Maria Van Dieman, is the most western point of a peninsula, which extends directly north-west seventeen leagues, lying in Lat. 34 deg. 30" S. Long. 173 deg. 42" E.

This end of New Zealand is subject to more violent and frequent changes of the weather than any of the other parts, and it is difficult to suppose how the difference can be so great, considering the comparative equality of temperature that exists in the rest of the island. The sea in the vicinity of this quarter is often so very boisterous, that it is extremely dangerous for any vessel that may happen to be there at the time, and Captain Cook assures us that he found it so himself. This celebrated navigator tells us, that in Lat. 35 deg. off this Cape, and in the midst of summer in these regions, (January 1770,) he encountered a gale of wind, which, for its strength and continuance, exceeded almost any he had ever before experienced. He was three weeks in getting ten leagues to the westward, and five weeks in making fifty.

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"During the gale, (says he,) we were happily at a considerable distance from land-otherwise it is highly probable that we should never have returned to relate our adventures."

At an early hour on Saturday, December 17th, we found ourselves lying immediately off the North Cape, and Mr. Marsden being anxious to open a communication with the natives of this part of the island, sent the chiefs with three of their countrymen on shore, to prevail on some of the people to come on board. The chiefs, arrayed in their uniforms, made quite a showy and martial appearance, and being armed with swords, pistols, and muskets, were prepared to resist any hostilities that might be offered to them on their landing. Aware of the necessity of being supplied with implements of various descriptions, Mr. Marsden took care that those should be brought which were most necessary for all the purposes of ordinary convenience, and nothing of this kind was omitted; so that our people might set to work on the first moment after getting on shore. As our live stock had suffered very much from the want of green food, the persons sent on shore took the sickles with

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them to cut grass, and Mr. Hall and myself intended to accompany them, but Duaterra told us we had better wait the event of his reception, before we ventured on an enterprise which might perhaps be attended with imminent danger. He said he had strong reasons to distrust the people who inhabited this part of the island, and among others, mentioned an attempt which he understood they had made some short time before, to cut off a boat's crew belonging to the Jefferson, a whaler then fishing upon the coast; therefore he thought it would be very rash for us to hazard our lives among them in the first instance. This friendly caution was a strong earnest of Duaterra's sincerity, and we immediately resolved not to act in opposition to it.

Soon after our party had left us, and as we were getting nearer to the shore, we saw a canoe full of men, proceeding towards us from the same direction, and dashing through the waves with inconceivable expedition. We had hardly time to express our surprise at the rapidity of the movement, when the canoe was alongside the vessel. To guard against any treacherous assault, we had previously loaded all the muskets,

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and brought the cutlasses on deck, so that we had every thing ready for offering an effectual resistance.

As soon as the canoe had approached close enough, we threw out a rope to the men that were in it, fourteen in all, which they caught and fastened to the canoe, while six of them ascended the ship's side with an astonishing agility, and came on deck without the least hesitation or dismay. I could not help being much surprised at the confident resolution of these men in putting themselves so completely in our power, and I knew of no cause to which it could be ascribed, except that curiosity might have got the better of their fears, as we cannot suppose that they believed us less capable than other folks of deceit and treachery.

Among those who came on deck was the chief of the tribe, who ordered the eight men that remained in the canoe to go back to the shore immediately and bring off some pigs for the use of the ship. By this act he trusted himself and those who accompanied him, entirely to our good faith, and certainly his confidence was not misplaced. The object of our visit was to introduce practices the very opposite of treacherous

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deception, and we should most assuredly be quite unworthy of such an undertaking, were we to commence it by taking any base advantage of those whose welfare we professed to contemplate.

Mr. Marsden explained to this chief, through the medium of a New Zealand sailor who was on board, and who from his knowledge of our language was well qualified to act as interpreter, the nature of the establishment he was about to form in the Bay of Islands. He assured him at the same time, that the missionaries were particularly desirous of being on good terms with the people of the North Cape, and would be always ready to secure their friendship by acts of kindness and attention. He observed to him also, that they would be very glad if he would himself visit them occasionally; and that if he would order his people to supply them with pigs and flax, they should be regularly paid either in axes or tokees. The chief seemed greatly pleased with Mr. Marsden's communication, but complained loudly of the commander of the Jefferson whaler, Captain Barnes, who, it appeared, like too many of his profession, had behaved very ill to him.

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Having furnished this captain with a great number of pigs and a large quantity of potatoes, for which he received a musket in return, more pigs and more potatoes were still insisted upon, which being refused, one of the head chiefs was forcibly detained on board, for the purpose of extorting a ransom of fresh supplies from his people. Mr. Marsden made him some presents, and told him, if the commanders or crews of any of our vessels should in future conduct themselves in so disgraceful a manner towards the natives of New Zealand, a representation of the affair should be laid before Governor Macquarie at Port Jackson, on applying to Mr. Kendall, who was to have his constant residence in the Bay of Islands, and would take care that no injury should go unpunished. This assurance was highly gratifying to the chief, as might be seen by the joy displayed in his countenance. Mr. Marsden then shewed him Governor Macquarie's order prohibiting all future aggressions, and the pleasure which this afforded him was increased, by the certainty that some of our countrymen were going to reside upon the island. These people, however they might dislike Europeans as occasional

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visitors, were nevertheless gratified with the idea of white men settling among them, and becoming permanent inhabitants of their country.

A piece of India print which Mr. Marsden presented to this chief, was received by him with admiration and delight; he gazed on the different figures represented on it with a wild amazement, his eyes sparkling with joy; while throwing it over his shoulders, he strutted about the deck, and seemed to think of nothing else but this novel decoration. Neither he nor those by whom he was attended had any other clothes on than a small mat made of the flax, which covered their backs, and had, adhering to it, long pieces of rush-work resembling thatch, which hung down on the outside; and the mat serving them for a close garment, was bound round their middle with a belt of a peculiarly strong texture.

Every thing on board afforded matter of astonishment and curiosity to these rude sons of nature. The cows and horses, animals they had never seen before, excited their surprise in a wonderful degree; and one of them seeing a cow with her head stooping down, inquired with much earnestness in

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what part the mouth was. No less were they astonished with the operation of shaving, for while Mr. Marsden was going through this necessary process upon deck, they stared at him with riveted attention; and one of them continued the whole time with his mouth wide open gaping at him, nor did he close it until the razor had completely executed its office. On seeing the reflection of their faces in the looking-glass, which for our amusement we placed before them, they started back in a transport of delight, and betrayed their astonishment with many ludicrous emotions.

They all appeared extremely anxious to conciliate our friendship, by voluntary testimonies of attachment towards us. These were frequently so marked and affecting, that callous indeed must be the soul that could not be moved by them. They would come up to us with all the kindliest feelings of the heart beaming in their countenances, and clasping their arms round our waists, tell us repeatedly we were miti, which means good, seeming at the same time particularly desirous that we should be convinced of their affection. My heart was deeply affected with the scene--the thought of their being canni-

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bals immediately vanished from my recollection, and I viewed them only as the children of genuine sensibility. Never was my mind so prepared as at this moment to believe the opinion of the wayward philosopher of Geneva, 1 that the best and kindest affections of the human heart are found only in the man who has neither been born amidst the luxuries, nor educated in the refinements of civilized society. Such a man being as "fresh from Nature's hand" at the age of forty as at the hour of his birth, has all Nature's passions still about him; and if the bad are not corrected by precept, the good are not vitiated by corrupt example. But here let me observe, that though the savage does possess all the passions of Nature, pure and unadulterated, and though he may in many instances feel stronger and more acutely than the man of civilized habits; still is he inferior to him in every other respect: the former is a slave to the impulse of his will, the latter has learned to restrain his desires; the former stands enveloped in the dark clouds of ignorance, the latter goes forth in the bright sunshine of knowledge; the former views the works of his Creator through the medium of

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a blind superstition, the latter through the light of reason and of truth; the one beholds Nature and is bewildered, the other clearly

But however I might admire the feelings which suggested to our new visitors their warm demonstrations of attachment, I could not help wishing myself at the same time a less-favoured object of them; as these people were so very dirty in their persons that any contact with them was truly disgusting. I do believe they had never been washed from the hour of their birth up to the moment we beheld them; and that species of loathsome vermin to which uncleanly Europeans have so long been familiarized, were crawling all over them in myriads. These vermin, which are too well known among us to require their name being repeated, are in their language called cootoos, and the inhabitants in general are equally full of them, the chief himself not being in the least degree freer from them than the vulgar tribe.

The sight of my spectacles appeared to divert them exceedingly, and they were much puzzled to know for what use they could be

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intended. On my telling them that I could tickee tickee nue nue (see very far) with them, they immediately wished to make the experiment themselves, and were extremely anxious to put them on; but with this curiosity I did not think it prudent to comply, as I knew that the indulgence would only make them troublesome and importunate. However they shewed no sullenness at the refusal, though I was obliged to declare it in positive terms.

While waiting the return of the persons whom the chief had sent on shore, two canoes loaded with various kinds of fish came out to supply the ship, and a single tenpenny nail was sufficient to purchase a fish of ten or twelve pounds weight. They brought with them some fish, which Europeans call snappers, and these weighed generally from twelve to twenty pounds each, being of a pleasant flavour, and very nutritious. In the cargo was also a very fine fish resembling the salmon trout, besides many others equally excellent; so that we had an abundant supply, I may say, for nothing, the trifles we gave in return being of little or no value.

These canoes had scarcely left us, when

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we were visited by two others of a different description, the war canoes, which brought with them a variety of articles for the purpose of traffic. They were built on a larger scale than any I had yet seen, one of them containing twenty-four men, and the other thirty-three. A brisk trade now commenced, and the exchange of commodities on both sides proceeded very rapidly. The men in the canoes were the first to open the market, and exhibited among a great number of other things, mats, spears, hooks, fishing-lines, thread, pattoo pattoos, (war implements,) for all which they received many useful articles in return. They seemed very anxious to deal, and shewed their judgment by giving a preference to such of our commodities as they conceived would be most necessary and serviceable to them. Therefore their choice generally ran upon plane irons, hatchets, tokees, or small hatchets, and hoop iron; for these they readily exchanged their mats, spears, and pattoo pattoos, articles which they set the highest value upon: but for smaller things, such as nails, &c. they would only give lines, thread, and petty ornaments.

The lawless cupidity of our sailors was so much excited by this trade, that we were

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obliged to confine it under particular restrictions to the after-part of the ship. Every idea of honesty was entirely abandoned by them; they plundered wherever they could find any thing to barter, and when nothing else was left, they even went so far as to tear the hoops off the barrels, and were bargaining about them with the natives, when we interfered to prevent the agreement. No more than three of these people were allowed to come on board, and the traffic with the others was carried on over the sides of the vessel. The latter were extremely impatient of their exclusion, and seemed to look with jealousy on the privilege granted to their countrymen. The strange indications they gave of their various necessities, were often very amusing, and excited a good deal of mirth among all of us. Standing up in their canoes, and displaying before us the different articles I have mentioned, with many others, they made signs for whatever they wanted, according to the use in which the article was employed. Thus one of them stood up, and vociferating as loud as he could, Matou matou, the name of what he wanted, thrust his fore-finger into his mouth, and dragged it in such a manner as to resemble a hook stuck

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in the gills of a fish, the very idea he wished to give us, as an instrument of this kind was what he desired to obtain, which Mr. Hall was the first to discover. Many instances occurred in which these indications, though extremely ludicrous, were nevertheless peculiarly significant.

Among the persons admitted on board was a very fine young man, the son of a deceased chief, who possessed the principal authority in that part of the island near which we were lying. Duaterra immediately recognized him, and the moment he came on board behaved to him with particular respect, touching noses with him, the usual mode of salutation in this part of the world, when any honour is to be paid, and which he did not do with the other chief. The latter he contemptuously described as an ittee ittee rungateeda, or a chief possessing very little power. Thus even among savages have the gradations of rank their distinctive formalities, while habit gives to each its peculiar etiquette. To this young chief, whose name was Tarapeedo, Mr. Marsden gave one of the Governor's proclamations, and explained to him the nature of the intended establishment, as also the benefits that would result from it to his

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people. The information appeared to give him much pleasure, and he seemed desirous of cultivating a friendly intercourse with us. He brought us a hog as a present, and Mr. Marsden complimented him in return with an axe, which he received with testimonies of very great satisfaction. The rank which this young man held could be seen rather by the formalities to which I have alluded, and the respectful behaviour of his people towards him, than by any distinguishing mark in his dress, as he was attired exactly in the same manner as the others, and took an equal share with them in the labours of the paddle. He seemed of a cheerful obliging disposition, and enjoyed exceedingly every thing he saw on board.

Tarapeedo was accompanied by his brother Tishopango, an athletic well-made man, and by an Otaheitan, called by our people Jem.

The history of this man is worthy of notice, as it shews the strong influence of early prepossessions over the human mind. At the age of eleven, or twelve he was brought from his own country to Port Jackson, and taken into the family of a Mr. M'Arthur, where he was treated with the greatest kindness and

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indulgence, and supplied with every thing he could possibly want. His kind protector also took care that his mind as well as his body should be attended to, and sent him to school at his own expense. Jem was not a boy to do any discredit to his instructors; he very soon learned not only to speak our language with fluency, but to read and write it in such a manner as to shew he possessed a strong natural genius. Tractable and obedient, his behaviour at school was always commended, and the improvement he made was no less rapid than useful. However, as he had no relish for the regular labours of civilized life, the situation of servant, which he was obliged to fill, was quite irksome to him, and he resolved as soon as possible to free himself from the restraints it imposed. He constantly sighed for the easy and desultory employments in which from his infancy he saw his countrymen engaged, and longed for the moment when he could himself participate in their idleness and liberty. This opportunity soon offered, and quitting the house of his kind friend and master, he entered as a sailor on board one of our vessels, with the intention of again revisiting his native

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country. How he got to New Zealand, or what induced him to settle there, I was never able to discover; but I should suppose a mind like his must have had a considerable struggle before he resolved on fixing himself among a people, who, in all their attainments, were inferior to his own.

He was, at the time I saw him, settled at the North Cape, where he had married the daughter of a deceased chief, to whose power and territory he happened to succeed.

Jem was a striking instance of the superiority of the civilized over the savage state, and formed a direct contrast to the rest of his companions. He was cleanly in his person, pleasing and even polite in his manners, and his behaviour and appearance in general shewed us very plainly how much he had profited by his acquaintance with European habits. He appeared about three and twenty, and was somewhat above the middle size, but very stout and well proportioned. His features were regular and expressive of great good humour, and his complexion was not darker than that of the southern Europeans; nor was his countenance disfigured with the frightful tattooing. His hair, which had been very carefully combed,

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was tied up in a knot upon the crown of his head, and adorned with a long white feather fancifully stuck in it; in his ears were large bunches of the down of the gannet, white as the driven snow, and flapping about his cheeks with every gale. Like the natives, he wore the mat thrown over his shoulders, but the one he had on was bordered with a deep Vandyke of different colours, and gaily bedizened with the feathers of parrots and other birds, reflecting at the same moment all the various shades in the rainbow. He carried a musket in his hand, and had a martial and imposing air about him, which was quite in character with the station he maintained.

Though not in the practice of speaking our language since he left Port Jackson, he had not forgotten the knowledge he had acquired of it, and he gave us a clear and faithful detail of the dispute between the people of the North Cape and the whalers. After stating to us the particulars of the agreement, and adverting to the disgraceful conduct of Barnes, in extorting from the natives more than they had a right to give; he said the people were so enraged at his perfidy and the indignities offered to their

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chief, that, having paid the unjust ransom, they fired on the boat's crew who had been sent with him on shore, just as they were putting off to return to the ship. The fire, he told us, was returned, but fortunately without effect, and there was no injury done on either side.

To this man also Mr. Marsden gave one of the proclamations, and being pleased with the nature of it, he promised to lend his zealous endeavours to further the object we had in view; and said he would soon visit the missionaries at the Bay of Islands.

In the course of the day we had not less, I should suppose, than a dozen canoes alongside the vessel, all filled with men of a remarkably fine appearance. Though I had often seen New Zealanders before I approached their coast, I never thought it likely they could be so fine a race of people as I now found them. In their persons they generally rose above the middle stature, some were even six feet and upwards, and all their limbs were remarkable for perfect symmetry and great muscular strength. Their countenances, with few exceptions, were pleasing and intelligent, and had none of those indications of ferocity which the

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imagination naturally attributes to cannibals. They displayed, on the contrary, strong tokens of good-nature and tender feeling, and I thought I could trace in many of them, some of the finest evidences of human sympathy. Though too often ill-treated by Europeans, they shewed not the least distrust of coming among us, and I could wish to ascribe it to any other cause than the mere impulse of curiosity.

We waited impatiently for the return of Duaterra, and when he came back he told us he had met with a most favourable reception, though on his landing he was apprehensive of an attack. He said, that as he approached the shore he was surrounded by several canoes, but would suffer none of them to come close to him, telling the men who were in them, that if they did not keep off, he would instantly fire on them; this made them stand at bay, and no hostile opposition was attempted. On reaching the shore, he left the boat to the care of the crew, and taking his fire-arms with him, went, accompanied by Shunghi and Korra-korra, to cut grass, as had been directed. Here he was met by numbers of his countrymen, who received him in a very friendly and affec-

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tionate manner. They communicated to him the agreeable intelligence that all wars had ceased during his absence, and that the different tribes were then living in peace and harmony with each other. The chiefs, while on shore, made the most of their time, and collected a quantity of green food of every description. They brought with them plantain grass, wild parsley, turnips which had run to seed, and some plants resembling water-cresses, which I dare say had the same antiscorbutic properties, besides a species of the ray grass.

We had been standing off the Cape the whole day, and Mr. Marsden was strongly tempted to go and spend the night on shore, in order to strengthen the friendly dispositions of the natives, by giving them such a proof of confidence in their hospitality. From this resolution, however, he was dissuaded by Duaterra, who told him, that though his countrymen might act with much seeming kindness while he remained on board, they might probably, if he trusted himself entirely to their good faith, betray its obligations, and taking advantage of his defenceless situation, devote him to a cruel death. At the same time he observed,

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that he could not state his positive belief that this would actually happen, not being as yet sufficiently informed as to the dispositions of the people in these parts towards us; but from what he supposed, he thought them hostile to Europeans in general, and therefore was firmly persuaded that we ought to know more about them before we committed our lives to their fidelity. This reasoning was too cogent to be despised, and putting the ship under weigh, we proceeded on our course.

The coast at the North Cape presents to the eye of the passing observer, a bold and romantic appearance. A narrow neck of land running out to some distance forms a promontory, which is the eastern side of a small bay, while the prospect to the westward lies completely open, and discloses to the view a continued expanse of fertile grounds, swelling on the sight in beautiful irregularity, and covered, even to the water's edge, with perpetual verdure. Between the north-east extremity of the island and Cape Maria Van Dieman are two other promontories, forming themselves into two extensive bays, by the opposition of their respective sides.