House of Lords

“ Yes; and supposing a Colony to be settled in his Country, he would be glad of the Protection of the Colonists against other Tribes. You mean to say, the same Man who would not object to selling his Land would still object to having the Government transferred from the Chief to the British Government? ”

“ No; I suppose never. The Natives are very much altered in Character since we were there; wherever the Missionaries have Influence they have undergone a total Change of Character. On our Visit to the Island they were in a very rude and savage State.
Were you at that Time satisfied in your own Mind that he understood the Substance of what he was doing; that he was parting with his Land to Persons who were to come and live there?
Perfectly. The New Zealander can reason with as much good Sense respecting his own Interest as Persons in civilized Life ”

“ Having been some Time at New South Wales, were they at that Time competent to understand for what Purpose they were joined?
I think perfectly. Do you recollect the Names of the Three Missionaries who were left there?
Mr. Kendall, Mr. Hall, and Mr. King; each of them married Men, with their Families of Children . By what Right did the Governor of New South Wales appoint a Magistrate to act in New Zealand; are you aware of any Act of Parliament that at that Time authorized him in doing so?
I recollect the Proclamation was laughed at a good deal as an Assumption of Authority ”

“ The Chiefs are exceedingly jealous of their Independence. Before we left the Harbour of Port Jackson we were detained by contrary Winds, at the Entrance of the Harbour, for a Week, and during that Time we found the Chiefs in a State of great Depression, and very sullen. ”

“ The Forests of New Zealand afford perhaps the finest Spars for Masts and Yards in the World, and which are extremely valuable. In India, the Wood being there very heavy, they cannot get any Description of Wood to make good Spars, and those taken from New Zealand find there a ready Sale. ”

“ They cultivate Provisions much more largely than they did formerly, for the Purposes of Barter, therefore it is probable that they will attend to the Culture of Flax ; but I think, unless a Colony was established, the Culture of it would not go to any great Extent. The Progress of Civilization goes on very slowly, and is much impeded by the bad Mode in which Colonization is now going on, which is composed of runaway Sailors, Convicts, and profligate Adventurers. You state that the Land sold to the Missionaries was tabooed, and that for their own Cultivation was also tabooed? ”

“ Are they Natives?
They are. The Tribes are in constant War with each other, and those of their Prisoners whom they do not devour they make Slaves of. They do not make Slaves of any Men of their own Tribes, only those they take in War? ”

“ One of the Missionaries purchased , he told me, of one of the Rungateedas, who are the Gentry of the Country, being the Relations of Chiefs, many of whom possess Lands, and I suppose have the Right of disposing of them, for this Man sold from Two to Three Acres to one of the Missionaries, which was put into Cultivation when I was there. Were many of the Natives Christians at that Time?
Not one.
Had they any Form of Worship at all?
None whatever. They have various Superstitions; they believe in a Plurality of Gods; but they have no Form of Worship. ”

“ The Population is divided into Four Classes: the Areekee, who is a Person of sovereign Authority, Chiefs, Rungateedas , and Cookees. The Areekee has under him a Number of subordinate Chiefs, who, I believe, hold their Lands under him in feudal Tenure; that is, if he goes to war they must assist him. ”

“ Did you see any other Land tabooed except this which was bought by the Missionaries?
All their cultivated Land is under the Taboo, and carefully enclosed . They do not allow any Person to go into those Lands except themselves or their Slaves. ”

“ No; they said the Women treated them very harshly, but one of the Chiefs, who had taken them under his Protection, treated them kindly, and took them to his cultivated Lands, and said to them, “If you will work I will feed you.”, The Case is very much altered now, a great Number of runaway Convicts having settled in many Parts of the Northern Island, and also Adventurers from New South Wales of the most abandoned Description. ”

“ It has been imported by private Merchants; I am not aware whether it has by the Government. I do not think that till a Colony is formed it can be procured in sufficient Quantities from the Natives; they do not cultivate it. They leave it to take its Chance?
Yes. So early as that you had not heard of Baron De Thierry?
No, not till long afterwards. In 1820 Mr. Kendall, one of the Missionaries, returned to this Country, bringing with him Two Chiefs; he went down to Cambridge soon after he arrived here to compile a Vocabulary of the New Zealand Language, aided by the Assistance of Professor Lee ”

“ Generally speaking they appeared to be a remarkably healthy People; we saw a few, but very few, afflicted with cutaneous Diseases, and some appeared to be subject to sore Eyes; but they appeared generally a remarkably strong, healthy People. ”

“ Mr. Marsden, upon hearing this, was exceedingly anxious to have Communication with the Chiefs of that Tribe, for the Purpose of explaining to them the Nature of the Mission, and to effect a Peace between the Tribes of Wangeroon and those in the Bay of Islands, Hostilities having taken place in consequence of the former having cut off the Boyd ”

“ The Villages we came to were small and contained but a scanty Population. It is impossible to give any correct Account of what the Population might be. I think Foster, who accompanied Captain Cook, supposed the Population of the Northern Island to be 100,000 ”