THE FIRST SETTLEMENT AT KORORAREKA.
The tragic fate of the Boyd's crew is now fast sinking into oblivion;
and, like the islanders of Hawaii, after the murder of Cook, they seem to
wish to obliterate the remembrance of their disgraceful conduct by a kind
and friendly intercourse with our nation. The severe chastisement which
they have always received from us after a treacherous action, has proved
to them how little they gain by so debasing a line of conduct; and as
they are most anxious to possess many of our productions, they seem to
have come to a resolution to abandon their former system; which, if they
may not be sensible of the injustice of, they see is destructive to their
own interests; and now every chief is as solicitous for the safety of a
European vessel as he would have been formerly for its destruction.
They have not only lost a portion of their ferocity, but also much of
their native simplicity of character, which, in all parts of the world,
is so highly interesting a study for the traveller. Their constant
intercourse with whalers, who are generally low, unpolished men, leaves
behind it a tinge of vulgarity, of which the native women retain the
largest portion. In many instances, they quite spoil their good looks, by
half adopting the European costume. Those who are living in the
retirement of their own villages have a natural ease and elegance of
manner, which they soon lose after their introduction to our rough
sailors. I have seen a party of very handsome girls, just landing from
one of the whalers, their beautiful forms hid under old greasy red or
checked shirts, generally put on with the hind parts before. In some
cases the sailors, knowing their taste for finery, bring out with them,
from London, old tawdry gowns, and fierce coloured ribands. And thus
equipped, they come on shore the most grotesque objects imaginable, each
highly delighted with her gaudy habiliments.
Kororareka beach, where we took up our residence, seemed the general
place of rendezvous for all Europeans whom chance might bring into this
bay. At this time there were two large vessels lying at anchor within a
quarter of a mile of the shore, and I was informed there were sometimes
as many as twelve or thirteen.
The spot is a most delightful one, being about three-quarters of a mile
in extent, sheltered by two picturesque promontories, and possessing a
fine circular, firm, sandy beach, on which there is seldom much surf, so
that boats can at all times land and haul up. Scattered amongst the
rushes and small bushes is seen a New Zealand village, which at first
landing is scarcely perceptible, the huts being so low. Some of them are
of English design, though of native workmanship. These are generally the
dwellings of some Europeans, who are of so doubtful a character that it
would be difficult to guess to what order of society they belonged
previous to their being transplanted amongst these savages.
I found a respectable body of Scotch mechanics settled here, who came out
in the New Zealand Company's ship Rosanna, and who determined to remain
at Kororareka. Their persevering industry as yet has been crowned with
success, and they seem well pleased with the prospects before them.
Here, these hardy sons of Britain are employed in both carrying on and
instructing the wondering savage in various branches of useful art. Here
the smith has erected his forge, and his sooty mansion is crowded by
curious natives, who voluntarily perform the hardest and most dirty work,
and consider themselves fully recompensed by a sight of his mysterious
labours, every portion of which fills them with astonishment. Here is
heard daily the sound of the sawpit, while piles of neat white planks
appear arranged on the beach. These laborious and useful Scotchmen
interfere with no one, and pursue successfully their industrious career,
without either requiring or receiving any assistance from Home.
But there is another class of Europeans here, who are both useless and
dangerous, and these lower the character of the white people in the
estimation of the natives. These men are called "Beach Rangers," most of
whom have deserted from, or have been turned out of whalers for crimes,
for which, had they been taken Home and tried, they would have been
hanged; some few among them, having been too lazy to finish the voyage
they had begun, had deserted from their ships, and were then leading a
mean and miserable life amongst the natives.
There is still a third class of our countrymen to be met with here, whose
downcast and sneaking looks proclaim them to be runaway convicts from New
South Wales. These unhappy men are treated with derision and contempt by
all classes; and the New Zealanders, being perfectly aware of their state
of degradation, refuse all intercourse with them. They are idle,
unprincipled, and vicious in the extreme, and are much feared in the Bay
of Islands; for when by any means they obtain liquor, they prove
themselves most dangerous neighbours.
My friend Shand and myself were most comfortably situated. An intimate
friend of mine (Captain Duke, of the whaler The Sisters) had, in
consequence of ill-health, taken up his residence on shore while his
vessel completed her cruise. In his hut we found comfort and safety; and
from his information and advice we were enabled to avoid the advances of
all whom his experience had taught him were to be shunned.
On terms of the closest intimacy, and with his hut adjoining that of my
friend Captain Duke, lived Shulitea[4] (or King George, as he styled
himself), a chief of great power, who controlled the whole of the
district where we were. We all felt grateful to him for his
manifestations of friendship, and at the same time were conscious of
enjoying a greater degree of security by his proximity. He was the first
chief who offered protection to "the white people," and he has never been
known to have broken his engagement. An unexpected and remarkable
instance of his adherence to their interests, in spite of temptation,
took place a few years since, which I deem worthy of relation here.
The ship Brompton, in endeavouring to work out of the bay, by some
accident got on shore, and finally became a complete wreck. This fine
vessel, with a valuable cargo on board, lay helpless on the beach, and
the crew and passengers expected nothing less than plunder and
destruction. The natives from the interior, hearing of the circumstance,
hastened down in vast numbers to participate in the general pillage. But
King George summoned all his warriors to his aid, and with this party
placed himself between the wreck and those who came to plunder it. I was
informed by several who were present at the time, that, after declaring
that "not an article should be taken till himself and all his party were
destroyed," he advanced, and thus explained his reasons for protecting
the strangers and their property:--
"You" (said King George) "come from the interior; all of you think only
of what you can get, without considering the consequences, which, indeed,
are of little import to you, living, as you do, out of reach of the
reproaches and vengeance of the white men. But look how differently I am
situated. I live on the beach; this Bay is my residence; I invite the
white men to come and trade here under the promise of my protection; they
come; several years of profitable trading have passed between us. King
George, they say, is a good man; now an accident has befallen one of
their ships in my territory, what must King George do? Why, he _must_
assist them; which he _will_ do, and defend them against everyone who
shall attempt to injure them." In consequence of this speech, and his
exertions, not a thing was taken from the wreck by the savages who had
collected for that purpose.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 4: The chief referred to by Mr. Earle as Shulitea, or King
George, was a noted Bay of Islands chief named Whareumu. He was killed in
a fight with the Hokianga tribes, in March, 1828. (See appendix.)]