TAHITI AND NEW ZEALAND
Pass through the Low Archipelago--Tahiti--Aspect--Vegetation on the
Mountains--View of Eimeo--Excursion into the Interior--Profound
Ravines--Succession of Waterfalls--Number of wild useful
Plants--Temperance of the Inhabitants--Their moral state--Parliament
convened--New Zealand--Bay of Islands--Hippahs--Excursion to
Waimate--Missionary Establishment--English Weeds now run
wild--Waiomio--Funeral of a New Zealand Woman--Sail for Australia.
OCTOBER 20th.--The survey of the Galapagos Archipelago being concluded,
we steered towards Tahiti and commenced our long passage of 3200 miles.
In the course of a few days we sailed out of the gloomy and clouded
ocean-district which extends during the winter far from the coast of
South America. We then enjoyed bright and clear weather, while running
pleasantly along at the rate of 150 or 160 miles a day before the
steady trade-wind. The temperature in this more central part of the
Pacific is higher than near the American shore. The thermometer in the
poop cabin, by night and day, ranged between 80 and 83 degs., which
feels very pleasant; but with one degree or two higher, the heat
becomes oppressive. We passed through the Low or Dangerous
Archipelago, and saw several of those most curious rings of coral land,
just rising above the water's edge, which have been called Lagoon
Islands. A long and brilliantly white beach is capped by a margin of
green vegetation; and the strip, looking either way, rapidly narrows
away in the distance, and sinks beneath the horizon From the mast-head
a wide expanse of smooth water can be seen within the ring. These low
hollow coral islands bear no proportion to the vast ocean out of which
they abruptly rise; and it seems wonderful, that such weak invaders are
not overwhelmed, by the all-powerful and never-tiring waves of that
great sea, miscalled the Pacific.
November 15th.--At daylight, Tahiti, an island which must for ever
remain classical to the voyager in the South Sea, was in view. At a
distance the appearance was not attractive. The luxuriant vegetation
of the lower part could not yet be seen, and as the clouds rolled past,
the wildest and most precipitous peaks showed themselves towards the
centre of the island. As soon as we anchored in Matavai Bay, we were
surrounded by canoes. This was our Sunday, but the Monday of Tahiti:
if the case had been reversed, we should not have received a single
visit; for the injunction not to launch a canoe on the sabbath is
rigidly obeyed. After dinner we landed to enjoy all the delights
produced by the first impressions of a new country, and that country
the charming Tahiti. A crowd of men, women, and children, was
collected on the memorable Point Venus, ready to receive us with
laughing, merry faces. They marshalled us towards the house of Mr.
Wilson, the missionary of the district, who met us on the road, and
gave us a very friendly reception. After sitting a very short time in
his house, we separated to walk about, but returned there in the
evening.
The land capable of cultivation, is scarcely in any part more than a
fringe of low alluvial soil, accumulated round the base of the
mountains, and protected from the waves of the sea by a coral reef,
which encircles the entire line of coast. Within the reef there is an
expanse of smooth water, like that of a lake, where the canoes of the
natives can ply with safety and where ships anchor. The low land which
comes down to the beach of coral-sand, is covered by the most beautiful
productions of the intertropical regions. In the midst of bananas,
orange, cocoa-nut, and bread-fruit trees, spots are cleared where yams,
sweet potatoes, and sugar-cane, and pine-apples are cultivated. Even
the brushwood is an imported fruit-tree, namely, the guava, which from
its abundance has become as noxious as a weed. In Brazil I have often
admired the varied beauty of the bananas, palms, and orange-trees
contrasted together; and here we also have the bread-fruit, conspicuous
from its large, glossy, and deeply digitated leaf. It is admirable to
behold groves of a tree, sending forth its branches with the vigour of
an English oak, loaded with large and most nutritious fruit. However
seldom the usefulness of an object can account for the pleasure of
beholding it, in the case of these beautiful woods, the knowledge of
their high productiveness no doubt enters largely into the feeling of
admiration. The little winding paths, cool from the surrounding shade,
led to the scattered houses; the owners of which everywhere gave us a
cheerful and most hospitable reception.
I was pleased with nothing so much as with the inhabitants. There is a
mildness in the expression of their countenances which at once banishes
the idea of a savage; and intelligence which shows that they are
advancing in civilization. The common people, when working, keep the
upper part of their bodies quite naked; and it is then that the
Tahitians are seen to advantage. They are very tall, broad-shouldered,
athletic, and well-proportioned. It has been remarked, that it
requires little habit to make a dark skin more pleasing and natural to
the eye of an European than his own colour. A white man bathing by the
side of a Tahitian, was like a plant bleached by the gardener's art
compared with a fine dark green one growing vigorously in the open
fields. Most of the men are tattooed, and the ornaments follow the
curvature of the body so gracefully, that they have a very elegant
effect. One common pattern, varying in its details, is somewhat like
the crown of a palm-tree. It springs from the central line of the back,
and gracefully curls round both sides. The simile may be a fanciful
one, but I thought the body of a man thus ornamented was like the trunk
of a noble tree embraced by a delicate creeper.
Many of the elder people had their feet covered with small figures, so
placed as to resemble a sock. This fashion, however, is partly gone
by, and has been succeeded by others. Here, although fashion is far
from immutable, every one must abide by that prevailing in his youth.
An old man has thus his age for ever stamped on his body, and he cannot
assume the airs of a young dandy. The women are tattooed in the same
manner as the men, and very commonly on their fingers. One unbecoming
fashion is now almost universal: namely, shaving the hair from the
upper part of the head, in a circular form, so as to leave only an
outer ring. The missionaries have tried to persuade the people to
change this habit; but it is the fashion, and that is a sufficient
answer at Tahiti, as well as at Paris. I was much disappointed in the
personal appearance of the women: they are far inferior in every
respect to the men. The custom of wearing a white or scarlet flower in
the back of the head, or through a small hole in each ear, is pretty. A
crown of woven cocoa-nut leaves is also worn as a shade for the eyes.
The women appear to be in greater want of some becoming costume even
than the men.
Nearly all the natives understand a little English--that is, they know
the names of common things; and by the aid of this, together with
signs, a lame sort of conversation could be carried on. In returning
in the evening to the boat, we stopped to witness a very pretty scene.
Numbers of children were playing on the beach, and had lighted bonfires
which illumined the placid sea and surrounding trees; others, in
circles, were singing Tahitian verses. We seated ourselves on the
sand, and joined their party. The songs were impromptu, and I believe
related to our arrival: one little girl sang a line, which the rest
took up in parts, forming a very pretty chorus. The whole scene made
us unequivocally aware that we were seated on the shores of an island
in the far-famed South Sea.
17th.--This day is reckoned in the log-book as Tuesday the 17th,
instead of Monday the 16th, owing to our, so far, successful chase of
the sun. Before breakfast the ship was hemmed in by a flotilla of
canoes; and when the natives were allowed to come on board, I suppose
there could not have been less than two hundred. It was the opinion of
every one that it would have been difficult to have picked out an equal
number from any other nation, who would have given so little trouble.
Everybody brought something for sale: shells were the main articles of
trade. The Tahitians now fully understand the value of money, and
prefer it to old clothes or other articles. The various coins,
however, of English and Spanish denomination puzzle them, and they
never seemed to think the small silver quite secure until changed into
dollars. Some of the chiefs have accumulated considerable sums of
money. One chief, not long since, offered 800 dollars (about 160
pounds sterling) for a small vessel; and frequently they purchase
whale-boats and horses at the rate of from 50 to 100 dollars.
After breakfast I went on shore, and ascended the nearest slope to a
height of between two and three thousand feet. The outer mountains are
smooth and conical, but steep; and the old volcanic rocks, of which
they are formed, have been cut through by many profound ravines,
diverging from the central broken parts of the island to the coast.
Having crossed the narrow low girt of inhabited and fertile land, I
followed a smooth steep ridge between two of the deep ravines. The
vegetation was singular, consisting almost exclusively of small dwarf
ferns, mingled higher up, with coarse grass; it was not very dissimilar
from that on some of the Welsh hills, and this so close above the
orchard of tropical plants on the coast was very surprising. At the
highest point, which I reached, trees again appeared. Of the three
zones of comparative luxuriance, the lower one owes its moisture, and
therefore fertility, to its flatness; for, being scarcely raised above
the level of the sea, the water from the higher land drains away
slowly. The intermediate zone does not, like the upper one, reach into
a damp and cloudy atmosphere, and therefore remains sterile. The woods
in the upper zone are very pretty, tree-ferns replacing the cocoa-nuts
on the coast. It must not, however, be supposed that these woods at
all equal in splendour the forests of Brazil. The vast numbers of
productions, which characterize a continent, cannot be expected to
occur in an island.
From the highest point which I attained, there was a good view of the
distant island of Eimeo, dependent on the same sovereign with Tahiti.
On the lofty and broken pinnacles, white massive clouds were piled up,
which formed an island in the blue sky, as Eimeo itself did in the blue
ocean. The island, with the exception of one small gateway, is
completely encircled by a reef. At this distance, a narrow but
well-defined brilliantly white line was alone visible, where the waves
first encountered the wall of coral. The mountains rose abruptly out
of the glassy expanse of the lagoon, included within this narrow white
line, outside which the heaving waters of the ocean were dark-coloured.
The view was striking: it may aptly be compared to a framed engraving,
where the frame represents the breakers, the marginal paper the smooth
lagoon, and the drawing the island itself. When in the evening I
descended from the mountain, a man, whom I had pleased with a trifling
gift, met me, bringing with him hot roasted bananas, a pine-apple, and
cocoa-nuts. After walking under a burning sun, I do not know anything
more delicious than the milk of a young cocoa-nut. Pine-apples are
here so abundant that the people eat them in the same wasteful manner
as we might turnips. They are of an excellent flavor--perhaps even
better than those cultivated in England; and this I believe is the
highest compliment which can be paid to any fruit. Before going on
board, Mr. Wilson interpreted for me to the Tahitian who had paid me so
adroit an attention, that I wanted him and another man to accompany me
on a short excursion into the mountains.
18th.--In the morning I came on shore early, bringing with me some
provisions in a bag, and two blankets for myself and servant. These
were lashed to each end of a long pole, which was alternately carried
by my Tahitian companions on their shoulders. These men are accustomed
thus to carry, for a whole day, as much as fifty pounds at each end of
their poles. I told my guides to provide themselves with food and
clothing; but they said that there was plenty of food in the mountains,
and for clothing, that their skins were sufficient. Our line of march
was the valley of Tiaauru, down which a river flows into the sea by
Point Venus. This is one of the principal streams in the island, and
its source lies at the base of the loftiest central pinnacles, which
rise to a height of about 7000 feet. The whole island is so
mountainous that the only way to penetrate into the interior is to
follow up the valleys. Our road, at first, lay through woods which
bordered each side of the river; and the glimpses of the lofty central
peaks, seen as through an avenue, with here and there a waving
cocoa-nut tree on one side, were extremely picturesque. The valley
soon began to narrow, and the sides to grow lofty and more precipitous.
After having walked between three and four hours, we found the width of
the ravine scarcely exceeded that of the bed of the stream. On each
hand the walls were nearly vertical, yet from the soft nature of the
volcanic strata, trees and a rank vegetation sprung from every
projecting ledge. These precipices must have been some thousand feet
high; and the whole formed a mountain gorge far more magnificent than
anything which I had ever before beheld. Until the midday sun stood
vertically over the ravine, the air felt cool and damp, but now it
became very sultry. Shaded by a ledge of rock, beneath a facade of
columnar lava, we ate our dinner. My guides had already procured a
dish of small fish and fresh-water prawns. They carried with them a
small net stretched on a hoop; and where the water was deep and in
eddies, they dived, and like otters, with their eyes open followed the
fish into holes and corners, and thus caught them.
The Tahitians have the dexterity of amphibious animals in the water. An
anecdote mentioned by Ellis shows how much they feel at home in this
element. When a horse was landing for Pomarre in 1817, the slings
broke, and it fell into the water; immediately the natives jumped
overboard, and by their cries and vain efforts at assistance almost
drowned it. As soon, however, as it reached the shore, the whole
population took to flight, and tried to hide themselves from the
man-carrying pig, as they christened the horse.
A little higher up, the river divided itself into three little streams.
The two northern ones were impracticable, owing to a succession of
waterfalls which descended from the jagged summit of the highest
mountain; the other to all appearance was equally inaccessible, but we
managed to ascend it by a most extraordinary road. The sides of the
valley were here nearly precipitous, but, as frequently happens with
stratified rocks, small ledges projected, which were thickly covered by
wild bananas, lilaceous plants, and other luxuriant productions of the
tropics. The Tahitians, by climbing amongst these ledges, searching
for fruit, had discovered a track by which the whole precipice could be
scaled. The first ascent from the valley was very dangerous; for it was
necessary to pass a steeply inclined face of naked rock, by the aid of
ropes which we brought with us. How any person discovered that this
formidable spot was the only point where the side of the mountain was
practicable, I cannot imagine. We then cautiously walked along one of
the ledges till we came to one of the three streams. This ledge formed
a flat spot, above which a beautiful cascade, some hundred feet in
height, poured down its waters, and beneath, another high cascade fell
into the main stream in the valley below. From this cool and shady
recess we made a circuit to avoid the overhanging waterfall. As
before, we followed little projecting ledges, the danger being partly
concealed by the thickness of the vegetation. In passing from one of
the ledges to another, there was a vertical wall of rock. One of the
Tahitians, a fine active man, placed the trunk of a tree against this,
climbed up it, and then by the aid of crevices reached the summit. He
fixed the ropes to a projecting point, and lowered them for our dog and
luggage, and then we clambered up ourselves. Beneath the ledge on
which the dead tree was placed, the precipice must have been five or
six hundred feet deep; and if the abyss had not been partly concealed
by the overhanging ferns and lilies my head would have turned giddy,
and nothing should have induced me to have attempted it. We continued
to ascend, sometimes along ledges, and sometimes along knife-edged
ridges, having on each hand profound ravines. In the Cordillera I have
seen mountains on a far grander scale, but for abruptness, nothing at
all comparable with this. In the evening we reached a flat little spot
on the banks of the same stream, which we had continued to follow, and
which descends in a chain of waterfalls: here we bivouacked for the
night. On each side of the ravine there were great beds of the
mountain-banana, covered with ripe fruit. Many of these plants were
from twenty to twenty-five feet high, and from three to four in
circumference. By the aid of strips of bark for rope, the stems of
bamboos for rafters, and the large leaf of the banana for a thatch, the
Tahitians in a few minutes built us an excellent house; and with
withered leaves made a soft bed.
They then proceeded to make a fire, and cook our evening meal. A light
was procured, by rubbing a blunt pointed stick in a groove made in
another, as if with intention of deepening it, until by the friction
the dust became ignited. A peculiarly white and very light wood (the
Hibiscus tiliareus) is alone used for this purpose: it is the same
which serves for poles to carry any burden, and for the floating
out-riggers to their canoes. The fire was produced in a few seconds:
but to a person who does not understand the art, it requires, as I
found, the greatest exertion; but at last, to my great pride, I
succeeded in igniting the dust. The Gaucho in the Pampas uses a
different method: taking an elastic stick about eighteen inches long,
he presses one end on his breast, and the other pointed end into a hole
in a piece of wood, and then rapidly turns the curved part, like a
carpenter's centre-bit. The Tahitians having made a small fire of
sticks, placed a score of stones, of about the size of cricket-balls,
on the burning wood. In about ten minutes the sticks were consumed,
and the stones hot. They had previously folded up in small parcels of
leaves, pieces of beef, fish, ripe and unripe bananas, and the tops of
the wild arum. These green parcels were laid in a layer between two
layers of the hot stones, and the whole then covered up with earth, so
that no smoke or steam could escape. In about a quarter of an hour,
the whole was most deliciously cooked. The choice green parcels were
now laid on a cloth of banana leaves, and with a cocoa-nut shell we
drank the cool water of the running stream; and thus we enjoyed our
rustic meal.
I could not look on the surrounding plants without admiration. On every
side were forests of banana; the fruit of which, though serving for
food in various ways, lay in heaps decaying on the ground. In front of
us there was an extensive brake of wild sugar-cane; and the stream was
shaded by the dark green knotted stem of the Ava,--so famous in former
days for its powerful intoxicating effects. I chewed a piece, and
found that it had an acrid and unpleasant taste, which would have
induced any one at once to have pronounced it poisonous. Thanks to the
missionaries, this plant now thrives only in these deep ravines,
innocuous to every one. Close by I saw the wild arum, the roots of
which, when well baked, are good to eat, and the young leaves better
than spinach. There was the wild yam, and a liliaceous plant called
Ti, which grows in abundance, and has a soft brown root, in shape and
size like a huge log of wood: this served us for dessert, for it is as
sweet as treacle, and with a pleasant taste. There were, moreover,
several other wild fruits, and useful vegetables. The little stream,
besides its cool water, produced eels, and cray-fish. I did indeed
admire this scene, when I compared it with an uncultivated one in the
temperate zones. I felt the force of the remark, that man, at least
savage man, with his reasoning powers only partly developed, is the
child of the tropics.
As the evening drew to a close, I strolled beneath the gloomy shade of
the bananas up the course of the stream. My walk was soon brought to a
close, by coming to a waterfall between two and three hundred feet
high; and again above this there was another. I mention all these
waterfalls in this one brook, to give a general idea of the inclination
of the land. In the little recess where the water fell, it did not
appear that a breath of wind had ever blown. The thin edges of the
great leaves of the banana, damp with spray, were unbroken, instead of
being, as is so generally the case, split into a thousand shreds. From
our position, almost suspended on the mountain side, there were
glimpses into the depths of the neighbouring valleys; and the lofty
points of the central mountains, towering up within sixty degrees of
the zenith, hid half the evening sky. Thus seated, it was a sublime
spectacle to watch the shades of night gradually obscuring the last and
highest pinnacles.
Before we laid ourselves down to sleep, the elder Tahitian fell on his
knees, and with closed eyes repeated a long prayer in his native
tongue. He prayed as a Christian should do, with fitting reverence,
and without the fear of ridicule or any ostentation of piety. At our
meals neither of the men would taste food, without saying beforehand a
short grace. Those travellers who think that a Tahitian prays only when
the eyes of the missionary are fixed on him, should have slept with us
that night on the mountain-side. Before morning it rained very
heavily; but the good thatch of banana-leaves kept us dry.
November 19th.--At daylight my friends, after their morning prayer,
prepared an excellent breakfast in the same manner as in the evening.
They themselves certainly partook of it largely; indeed I never saw any
men eat near so much. I suppose such enormously capacious stomachs
must be the effect of a large part of their diet consisting of fruit
and vegetables, which contain, in a given bulk, a comparatively small
portion of nutriment. Unwittingly, I was the means of my companions
breaking, as I afterwards learned, one of their own laws, and
resolutions: I took with me a flask of spirits, which they could not
refuse to partake of; but as often as they drank a little, they put
their fingers before their mouths, and uttered the word "Missionary."
About two years ago, although the use of the ava was prevented,
drunkenness from the introduction of spirits became very prevalent. The
missionaries prevailed on a few good men, who saw that their country
was rapidly going to ruin, to join with them in a Temperance Society.
From good sense or shame, all the chiefs and the queen were at last
persuaded to join. Immediately a law was passed, that no spirits
should be allowed to be introduced into the island, and that he who
sold and he who bought the forbidden article should be punished by a
fine. With remarkable justice, a certain period was allowed for stock
in hand to be sold, before the law came into effect. But when it did,
a general search was made, in which even the houses of the missionaries
were not exempted, and all the ava (as the natives call all ardent
spirits) was poured on the ground. When one reflects on the effect of
intemperance on the aborigines of the two Americas, I think it will be
acknowledged that every well-wisher of Tahiti owes no common debt of
gratitude to the missionaries. As long as the little island of St.
Helena remained under the government of the East India Company,
spirits, owing to the great injury they had produced, were not allowed
to be imported; but wine was supplied from the Cape of Good Hope. It
is rather a striking and not very gratifying fact, that in the same
year that spirits were allowed to be sold in Helena, their use was
banished from Tahiti by the free will of the people.
After breakfast we proceeded on our Journey. As my object was merely
to see a little of the interior scenery, we returned by another track,
which descended into the main valley lower down. For some distance we
wound, by a most intricate path, along the side of the mountain which
formed the valley. In the less precipitous parts we passed through
extensive groves of the wild banana. The Tahitians, with their naked,
tattooed bodies, their heads ornamented with flowers, and seen in the
dark shade of these groves, would have formed a fine picture of man
inhabiting some primeval land. In our descent we followed the line of
ridges; these were exceedingly narrow, and for considerable lengths
steep as a ladder; but all clothed with vegetation. The extreme care
necessary in poising each step rendered the walk fatiguing. I did not
cease to wonder at these ravines and precipices: when viewing the
country from one of the knife-edged ridges, the point of support was so
small, that the effect was nearly the same as it must be from a
balloon. In this descent we had occasion to use the ropes only once,
at the point where we entered the main valley. We slept under the same
ledge of rock where we had dined the day before: the night was fine,
but from the depth and narrowness of the gorge, profoundly dark.
Before actually seeing this country, I found it difficult to understand
two facts mentioned by Ellis; namely, that after the murderous battles
of former times, the survivors on the conquered side retired into the
mountains, where a handful of men could resist a multitude. Certainly
half a dozen men, at the spot where the Tahitian reared the old tree,
could easily have repulsed thousands. Secondly, that after the
introduction of Christianity, there were wild men who lived in the
mountains, and whose retreats were unknown to the more civilized
inhabitants.
November 20th.--In the morning we started early, and reached Matavai at
noon. On the road we met a large party of noble athletic men, going
for wild bananas. I found that the ship, on account of the difficulty
in watering, had moved to the harbour of Papawa, to which place I
immediately walked. This is a very pretty spot. The cove is
surrounded by reefs, and the water as smooth as in a lake. The
cultivated ground, with its beautiful productions, interspersed with
cottages, comes close down to the water's edge. From the varying
accounts which I had read before reaching these islands, I was very
anxious to form, from my own observation, a judgment of their moral
state,--although such judgment would necessarily be very imperfect.
First impressions at all times very much depend on one's previously
acquired ideas. My notions were drawn from Ellis's "Polynesian
Researches"--an admirable and most interesting work, but naturally
looking at everything under a favourable point of view, from Beechey's
Voyage; and from that of Kotzebue, which is strongly adverse to the
whole missionary system. He who compares these three accounts will, I
think, form a tolerably accurate conception of the present state of
Tahiti. One of my impressions which I took from the two last
authorities, was decidedly incorrect; viz., that the Tahitians had
become a gloomy race, and lived in fear of the missionaries. Of the
latter feeling I saw no trace, unless, indeed, fear and respect be
confounded under one name. Instead of discontent being a common
feeling, it would be difficult in Europe to pick out of a crowd half so
many merry and happy faces. The prohibition of the flute and dancing
is inveighed against as wrong and foolish;--the more than presbyterian
manner of keeping the sabbath is looked at in a similar light. On
these points I will not pretend to offer any opinion to men who have
resided as many years as I was days on the island.
On the whole, it appears to me that the morality and religion of the
inhabitants are highly creditable. There are many who attack, even
more acrimoniously than Kotzebue, both the missionaries, their system,
and the effects produced by it. Such reasoners never compare the
present state with that of the island only twenty years ago; nor even
with that of Europe at this day; but they compare it with the high
standard of Gospel perfection. They expect the missionaries to effect
that which the Apostles themselves failed to do. Inasmuch as the
condition of the people falls short of this high standard, blame is
attached to the missionary, instead of credit for that which he has
effected. They forget, or will not remember, that human sacrifices,
and the power of an idolatrous priesthood--a system of profligacy
unparalleled in any other part of the world--infanticide a consequence
of that system--bloody wars, where the conquerors spared neither women
nor children--that all these have been abolished; and that dishonesty,
intemperance, and licentiousness have been greatly reduced by the
introduction of Christianity. In a voyager to forget these things is
base ingratitude; for should he chance to be at the point of shipwreck
on some unknown coast, he will most devoutly pray that the lesson of
the missionary may have extended thus far.
In point of morality, the virtue of the women, it has been often said,
is most open to exception. But before they are blamed too severely, it
will be well distinctly to call to mind the scenes described by Captain
Cook and Mr. Banks, in which the grandmothers and mothers of the
present race played a part. Those who are most severe, should consider
how much of the morality of the women in Europe is owing to the system
early impressed by mothers on their daughters, and how much in each
individual case to the precepts of religion. But it is useless to
argue against such reasoners;--I believe that, disappointed in not
finding the field of licentiousness quite so open as formerly, they
will not give credit to a morality which they do not wish to practise,
or to a religion which they undervalue, if not despise.
Sunday, 22nd.--The harbour of Papiete, where the queen resides, may be
considered as the capital of the island: it is also the seat of
government, and the chief resort of shipping. Captain Fitz Roy took a
party there this day to hear divine service, first in the Tahitian
language, and afterwards in our own. Mr. Pritchard, the leading
missionary in the island, performed the service. The chapel consisted
of a large airy framework of wood; and it was filled to excess by tidy,
clean people, of all ages and both sexes. I was rather disappointed in
the apparent degree of attention; but I believe my expectations were
raised too high. At all events the appearance was quite equal to that
in a country church in England. The singing of the hymns was decidedly
very pleasing, but the language from the pulpit, although fluently
delivered, did not sound well: a constant repetition of words, like
"tata ta, mata mai," rendered it monotonous. After English service, a
party returned on foot to Matavai. It was a pleasant walk, sometimes
along the sea-beach and sometimes under the shade of the many beautiful
trees.
About two years ago, a small vessel under English colours was plundered
by some of the inhabitants of the Low Islands, which were then under
the dominion of the Queen of Tahiti. It was believed that the
perpetrators were instigated to this act by some indiscreet laws issued
by her majesty. The British government demanded compensation; which
was acceded to, and the sum of nearly three thousand dollars was agreed
to be paid on the first of last September. The Commodore at Lima
ordered Captain Fitz Roy to inquire concerning this debt, and to demand
satisfaction if it were not paid. Captain Fitz Roy accordingly
requested an interview with the Queen Pomarre, since famous from the
ill-treatment she had received from the French; and a parliament was
held to consider the question, at which all the principal chiefs of the
island and the queen were assembled. I will not attempt to describe
what took place, after the interesting account given by Captain Fitz
Roy. The money, it appeared, had not been paid; perhaps the alleged
reasons were rather equivocal; but otherwise I cannot sufficiently
express our general surprise at the extreme good sense, the reasoning
powers, moderation, candour, and prompt resolution, which were
displayed on all sides. I believe we all left the meeting with a very
different opinion of the Tahitians, from what we entertained when we
entered. The chiefs and people resolved to subscribe and complete the
sum which was wanting; Captain Fitz Roy urged that it was hard that
their private property should be sacrificed for the crimes of distant
islanders. They replied, that they were grateful for his
consideration, but that Pomarre was their Queen, and that they were
determined to help her in this her difficulty. This resolution and its
prompt execution, for a book was opened early the next morning, made a
perfect conclusion to this very remarkable scene of loyalty and good
feeling.
After the main discussion was ended, several of the chiefs took the
opportunity of asking Captain Fitz Roy many intelligent questions on
international customs and laws, relating to the treatment of ships and
foreigners. On some points, as soon as the decision was made, the law
was issued verbally on the spot. This Tahitian parliament lasted for
several hours; and when it was over Captain Fitz Roy invited Queen
Pomarre to pay the Beagle a visit.
November 25th.--In the evening four boats were sent for her majesty;
the ship was dressed with flags, and the yards manned on her coming on
board. She was accompanied by most of the chiefs. The behaviour of
all was very proper: they begged for nothing, and seemed much pleased
with Captain Fitz Roy's presents. The queen is a large awkward woman,
without any beauty, grace or dignity. She has only one royal
attribute: a perfect immovability of expression under all
circumstances, and that rather a sullen one. The rockets were most
admired, and a deep "Oh!" could be heard from the shore, all round the
dark bay, after each explosion. The sailors' songs were also much
admired; and the queen said she thought that one of the most boisterous
ones certainly could not be a hymn! The royal party did not return on
shore till past midnight.
26th.--In the evening, with a gentle land-breeze, a course was steered
for New Zealand; and as the sun set, we had a farewell view of the
mountains of Tahiti--the island to which every voyager has offered up
his tribute of admiration.
December 19th.--In the evening we saw in the distance New Zealand. We
may now consider that we have nearly crossed the Pacific. It is
necessary to sail over this great ocean to comprehend its immensity.
Moving quickly onwards for weeks together, we meet with nothing but the
same blue, profoundly deep, ocean. Even within the archipelagoes, the
islands are mere specks, and far distant one from the other. Accustomed
to look at maps drawn on a small scale, where dots, shading, and names
are crowded together, we do not rightly judge how infinitely small the
proportion of dry land is to water of this vast expanse. The meridian
of the Antipodes has likewise been passed; and now every league, it
made us happy to think, was one league nearer to England. These
Antipodes call to one's mind old recollections of childish doubt and
wonder. Only the other day I looked forward to this airy barrier as a
definite point in our voyage homewards; but now I find it, and all such
resting-places for the imagination, are like shadows, which a man
moving onwards cannot catch. A gale of wind lasting for some days, has
lately given us full leisure to measure the future stages in our
homeward voyage, and to wish most earnestly for its termination.
December 21st.--Early in the morning we entered the Bay of Islands, and
being becalmed for some hours near the mouth, we did not reach the
anchorage till the middle of the day. The country is hilly, with a
smooth outline, and is deeply intersected by numerous arms of the sea
extending from the bay. The surface appears from a distance as if
clothed with coarse pasture, but this in truth is nothing but fern. On
the more distant hills, as well as in parts of the valleys, there is a
good deal of woodland. The general tint of the landscape is not a
bright green; and it resembles the country a short distance to the
south of Concepcion in Chile. In several parts of the bay, little
villages of square tidy looking houses are scattered close down to the
water's edge. Three whaling-ships were lying at anchor, and a canoe
every now and then crossed from shore to shore; with these exceptions,
an air of extreme quietness reigned over the whole district. Only a
single canoe came alongside. This, and the aspect of the whole scene,
afforded a remarkable, and not very pleasing contrast, with our joyful
and boisterous welcome at Tahiti.
In the afternoon we went on shore to one of the larger groups of
houses, which yet hardly deserves the title of a village. Its name is
Pahia: it is the residence of the missionaries; and there are no native
residents except servants and labourers. In the vicinity of the Bay of
Islands, the number of Englishmen, including their families, amounts to
between two and three hundred. All the cottages, many of which are
whitewashed and look very neat, are the property of the English. The
hovels of the natives are so diminutive and paltry, that they can
scarcely be perceived from a distance. At Pahia, it was quite pleasing
to behold the English flowers in the gardens before the houses; there
were roses of several kinds, honeysuckle, jasmine, stocks, and whole
hedges of sweetbrier.
December 22nd.--In the morning I went out walking; but I soon found
that the country was very impracticable. All the hills are thickly
covered with tall fern, together with a low bush which grows like a
cypress; and very little ground has been cleared or cultivated. I then
tried the sea-beach; but proceeding towards either hand, my walk was
soon stopped by salt-water creeks and deep brooks. The communication
between the inhabitants of the different parts of the bay, is (as in
Chiloe) almost entirely kept up by boats. I was surprised to find that
almost every hill which I ascended, had been at some former time more
or less fortified. The summits were cut into steps or successive
terraces, and frequently they had been protected by deep trenches. I
afterwards observed that the principal hills inland in like manner
showed an artificial outline. These are the Pas, so frequently
mentioned by Captain Cook under the name of "hippah;" the difference of
sound being owing to the prefixed article.
That the Pas had formerly been much used, was evident from the piles of
shells, and the pits in which, as I was informed, sweet potatoes used
to be kept as a reserve. As there was no water on these hills, the
defenders could never have anticipated a long siege, but only a hurried
attack for plunder, against which the successive terraces would have
afforded good protection. The general introduction of fire-arms has
changed the whole system of warfare; and an exposed situation on the
top of a hill is now worse than useless. The Pas in consequence are, at
the present day, always built on a level piece of ground. They consist
of a double stockade of thick and tall posts, placed in a zigzag line,
so that every part can be flanked. Within the stockade a mound of
earth is thrown up, behind which the defenders can rest in safety, or
use their fire-arms over it. On the level of the ground little
archways sometimes pass through this breastwork, by which means the
defenders can crawl out to the stockade and reconnoitre their enemies.
The Rev. W. Williams, who gave me this account, added, that in one Pas
he had noticed spurs or buttresses projecting on the inner and
protected side of the mound of earth. On asking the chief the use of
them, he replied, that if two or three of his men were shot, their
neighbours would not see the bodies, and so be discouraged.
These Pas are considered by the New Zealanders as very perfect means of
defence: for the attacking force is never so well disciplined as to
rush in a body to the stockade, cut it down, and effect their entry.
When a tribe goes to war, the chief cannot order one party to go here
and another there; but every man fights in the manner which best
pleases himself; and to each separate individual to approach a stockade
defended by fire-arms must appear certain death. I should think a more
warlike race of inhabitants could not be found in any part of the world
than the New Zealanders. Their conduct on first seeing a ship, as
described by Captain Cook, strongly illustrates this: the act of
throwing volleys of stones at so great and novel an object, and their
defiance of "Come on shore and we will kill and eat you all," shows
uncommon boldness. This warlike spirit is evident in many of their
customs, and even in their smallest actions. If a New Zealander is
struck, although but in joke, the blow must be returned and of this I
saw an instance with one of our officers.
At the present day, from the progress of civilization, there is much
less warfare, except among some of the southern tribes. I heard a
characteristic anecdote of what took place some time ago in the south.
A missionary found a chief and his tribe in preparation for war;--their
muskets clean and bright, and their ammunition ready. He reasoned long
on the inutility of the war, and the little provocation which had been
given for it. The chief was much shaken in his resolution, and seemed
in doubt: but at length it occurred to him that a barrel of his
gunpowder was in a bad state, and that it would not keep much longer.
This was brought forward as an unanswerable argument for the necessity
of immediately declaring war: the idea of allowing so much good
gunpowder to spoil was not to be thought of; and this settled the
point. I was told by the missionaries that in the life of Shongi, the
chief who visited England, the love of war was the one and lasting
spring of every action. The tribe in which he was a principal chief
had at one time been oppressed by another tribe from the Thames River.
A solemn oath was taken by the men that when their boys should grow up,
and they should be powerful enough, they would never forget or forgive
these injuries. To fulfil this oath appears to have been Shongi's
chief motive for going to England; and when there it was his sole
object. Presents were valued only as they could be converted into
arms; of the arts, those alone interested him which were connected with
the manufacture of arms. When at Sydney, Shongi, by a strange
coincidence, met the hostile chief of the Thames River at the house of
Mr. Marsden: their conduct was civil to each other; but Shongi told him
that when again in New Zealand he would never cease to carry war into
his country. The challenge was accepted; and Shongi on his return
fulfilled the threat to the utmost letter. The tribe on the Thames
River was utterly overthrown, and the chief to whom the challenge had
been given was himself killed. Shongi, although harbouring such deep
feelings of hatred and revenge, is described as having been a
good-natured person.
In the evening I went with Captain Fitz Roy and Mr. Baker, one of the
missionaries, to pay a visit to Kororadika: we wandered about the
village, and saw and conversed with many of the people, both men,
women, and children. Looking at the New Zealander, one naturally
compares him with the Tahitian; both belonging to the same family of
mankind. The comparison, however, tells heavily against the New
Zealander. He may, perhaps be superior in energy, but in every other
respect his character is of a much lower order. One glance at their
respective expressions, brings conviction to the mind that one is a
savage, the other a civilized man. It would be vain to seek in the
whole of New Zealand a person with the face and mien of the old
Tahitian chief Utamme. No doubt the extraordinary manner in which
tattooing is here practised, gives a disagreeable expression to their
countenances. The complicated but symmetrical figures covering the
whole face, puzzle and mislead an unaccustomed eye: it is moreover
probable, that the deep incisions, by destroying the play of the
superficial muscles, give an air of rigid inflexibility. But, besides
this, there is a twinkling in the eye, which cannot indicate anything
but cunning and ferocity. Their figures are tall and bulky; but not
comparable in elegance with those of the working-classes in Tahiti.
But their persons and houses are filthily dirty and offensive: the idea
of washing either their bodies or their clothes never seems to enter
their heads. I saw a chief, who was wearing a shirt black and matted
with filth, and when asked how it came to be so dirty, he replied, with
surprise, "Do not you see it is an old one?" Some of the men have
shirts; but the common dress is one or two large blankets, generally
black with dirt, which are thrown over their shoulders in a very
inconvenient and awkward fashion. A few of the principal chiefs have
decent suits of English clothes; but these are only worn on great
occasions.
December 23rd.--At a place called Waimate, about fifteen miles from the
Bay of Islands, and midway between the eastern and western coasts, the
missionaries have purchased some land for agricultural purposes. I had
been introduced to the Rev. W. Williams, who, upon my expressing a
wish, invited me to pay him a visit there. Mr. Bushby, the British
resident, offered to take me in his boat by a creek, where I should see
a pretty waterfall, and by which means my walk would be shortened. He
likewise procured for me a guide.
Upon asking a neighbouring chief to recommend a man, the chief himself
offered to go; but his ignorance of the value of money was so complete,
that at first he asked how many pounds I would give him, but afterwards
was well contented with two dollars. When I showed the chief a very
small bundle, which I wanted carried, it became absolutely necessary
for him to take a slave. These feelings of pride are beginning to wear
away; but formerly a leading man would sooner have died, than undergone
the indignity of carrying the smallest burden. My companion was a
light active man, dressed in a dirty blanket, and with his face
completely tattooed. He had formerly been a great warrior. He
appeared to be on very cordial terms with Mr. Bushby; but at various
times they had quarrelled violently. Mr. Bushby remarked that a little
quiet irony would frequently silence any one of these natives in their
most blustering moments. This chief has come and harangued Mr. Bushby
in a hectoring manner, saying, "great chief, a great man, a friend of
mine, has come to pay me a visit--you must give him something good to
eat, some fine presents, etc." Mr. Bushby has allowed him to finish his
discourse, and then has quietly replied by some answer such as, "What
else shall your slave do for you?" The man would then instantly, with a
very comical expression, cease his braggadocio.
Some time ago, Mr. Bushby suffered a far more serious attack. A chief
and a party of men tried to break into his house in the middle of the
night, and not finding this so easy, commenced a brisk firing with
their muskets. Mr. Bushby was slightly wounded, but the party was at
length driven away. Shortly afterwards it was discovered who was the
aggressor; and a general meeting of the chiefs was convened to consider
the case. It was considered by the New Zealanders as very atrocious,
inasmuch as it was a night attack, and that Mrs. Bushby was lying ill
in the house: this latter circumstance, much to their honour, being
considered in all cases as a protection. The chiefs agreed to
confiscate the land of the aggressor to the King of England. The whole
proceeding, however, in thus trying and punishing a chief was entirely
without precedent. The aggressor, moreover, lost caste in the
estimation of his equals and this was considered by the British as of
more consequence than the confiscation of his land.
As the boat was shoving off, a second chief stepped into her, who only
wanted the amusement of the passage up and down the creek. I never saw
a more horrid and ferocious expression than this man had. It
immediately struck me I had somewhere seen his likeness: it will be
found in Retzch's outlines to Schiller's ballad of Fridolin, where two
men are pushing Robert into the burning iron furnace. It is the man
who has his arm on Robert's breast. Physiognomy here spoke the truth;
this chief had been a notorious murderer, and was an arrant coward to
boot. At the point where the boat landed, Mr. Bushby accompanied me a
few hundred yards on the road: I could not help admiring the cool
impudence of the hoary old villain, whom we left lying in the boat,
when he shouted to Mr. Bushby, "Do not you stay long, I shall be tired
of waiting here."
We now commenced our walk. The road lay along a well beaten path,
bordered on each side by the tall fern, which covers the whole country.
After travelling some miles, we came to a little country village, where
a few hovels were collected together, and some patches of ground
cultivated with potatoes. The introduction of the potato has been the
most essential benefit to the island; it is now much more used than any
native vegetable. New Zealand is favoured by one great natural
advantage; namely, that the inhabitants can never perish from famine.
The whole country abounds with fern: and the roots of this plant, if
not very palatable, yet contain much nutriment. A native can always
subsist on these, and on the shell-fish, which are abundant on all
parts of the sea-coast. The villages are chiefly conspicuous by the
platforms which are raised on four posts ten or twelve feet above the
ground, and on which the produce of the fields is kept secure from all
accidents.
On coming near one of the huts I was much amused by seeing in due form
the ceremony of rubbing, or, as it ought to be called, pressing noses.
The women, on our first approach, began uttering something in a most
dolorous voice; they then squatted themselves down and held up their
faces; my companion standing over them, one after another, placed the
bridge of his nose at right angles to theirs, and commenced pressing.
This lasted rather longer than a cordial shake of the hand with us, and
as we vary the force of the grasp of the hand in shaking, so do they in
pressing. During the process they uttered comfortable little grunts,
very much in the same manner as two pigs do, when rubbing against each
other. I noticed that the slave would press noses with any one he met,
indifferently either before or after his master the chief. Although
among the savages, the chief has absolute power of life and death over
his slave, yet there is an entire absence of ceremony between them. Mr.
Burchell has remarked the same thing in Southern Africa, with the rude
Bachapins. Where civilization has arrived at a certain point, complex
formalities soon arise between the different grades of society: thus at
Tahiti all were formerly obliged to uncover themselves as low as the
waist in presence of the king.
The ceremony of pressing noses having been duly completed with all
present, we seated ourselves in a circle in the front of one of the
hovels, and rested there half-an-hour. All the hovels have nearly the
same form and dimensions, and all agree in being filthily dirty. They
resemble a cow-shed with one end open, but having a partition a little
way within, with a square hole in it, making a small gloomy chamber. In
this the inhabitants keep all their property, and when the weather is
cold they sleep there. They eat, however, and pass their time in the
open part in front. My guides having finished their pipes, we
continued our walk. The path led through the same undulating country,
the whole uniformly clothed as before with fern. On our right hand we
had a serpentine river, the banks of which were fringed with trees, and
here and there on the hill sides there was a clump of wood. The whole
scene, in spite of its green colour, had rather a desolate aspect. The
sight of so much fern impresses the mind with an idea of sterility:
this, however, is not correct; for wherever the fern grows thick and
breast-high, the land by tillage becomes productive. Some of the
residents think that all this extensive open country originally was
covered with forests, and that it has been cleared by fire. It is said,
that by digging in the barest spots, lumps of the kind of resin which
flows from the kauri pine are frequently found. The natives had an
evident motive in clearing the country; for the fern, formerly a staple
article of food, flourishes only in the open cleared tracks. The
almost entire absence of associated grasses, which forms so remarkable
a feature in the vegetation of this island, may perhaps be accounted
for by the land having been aboriginally covered with forest-trees.
The soil is volcanic; in several parts we passed over shaggy lavas, and
craters could clearly be distinguished on several of the neighbouring
hills. Although the scenery is nowhere beautiful, and only
occasionally pretty, I enjoyed my walk. I should have enjoyed it more,
if my companion, the chief, had not possessed extraordinary
conversational powers. I knew only three words: "good," "bad," and
"yes:" and with these I answered all his remarks, without of course
having understood one word he said. This, however, was quite
sufficient: I was a good listener, an agreeable person, and he never
ceased talking to me.
At length we reached Waimate. After having passed over so many miles
of an uninhabited useless country, the sudden appearance of an English
farm-house, and its well-dressed fields, placed there as if by an
enchanter's wand, was exceedingly pleasant. Mr. Williams not being at
home, I received in Mr. Davies's house a cordial welcome. After
drinking tea with his family party, we took a stroll about the farm. At
Waimate there are three large houses, where the missionary gentlemen,
Messrs. Williams, Davies, and Clarke, reside; and near them are the
huts of the native labourers. On an adjoining slope, fine crops of
barley and wheat were standing in full ear; and in another part, fields
of potatoes and clover. But I cannot attempt to describe all I saw;
there were large gardens, with every fruit and vegetable which England
produces; and many belonging to a warmer clime. I may instance
asparagus, kidney beans, cucumbers, rhubarb, apples, pears, figs,
peaches, apricots, grapes, olives, gooseberries, currants, hops, gorse
for fences, and English oaks; also many kinds of flowers. Around the
farm-yard there were stables, a thrashing-barn with its winnowing
machine, a blacksmith's forge, and on the ground ploughshares and other
tools: in the middle was that happy mixture of pigs and poultry, lying
comfortably together, as in every English farm-yard. At the distance
of a few hundred yards, where the water of a little rill had been
dammed up into a pool, there was a large and substantial water-mill.
All this is very surprising, when it is considered that five years ago
nothing but the fern flourished here. Moreover, native workmanship,
taught by the missionaries, has effected this change;--the lesson of
the missionary is the enchanter's wand. The house had been built, the
windows framed, the fields ploughed, and even the trees grafted, by a
New Zealander. At the mill, a New Zealander was seen powdered white
with flower, like his brother miller in England. When I looked at this
whole scene, I thought it admirable. It was not merely that England
was brought vividly before my mind; yet, as the evening drew to a
close, the domestic sounds, the fields of corn, the distant undulating
country with its trees might well have been mistaken for our
fatherland: nor was it the triumphant feeling at seeing what Englishmen
could effect; but rather the high hopes thus inspired for the future
progress of this fine island.
Several young men, redeemed by the missionaries from slavery, were
employed on the farm. They were dressed in a shirt, jacket, and
trousers, and had a respectable appearance. Judging from one trifling
anecdote, I should think they must be honest. When walking in the
fields, a young labourer came up to Mr. Davies, and gave him a knife
and gimlet, saying that he had found them on the road, and did not know
to whom they belonged! These young men and boys appeared very merry
and good-humoured. In the evening I saw a party of them at cricket:
when I thought of the austerity of which the missionaries have been
accused, I was amused by observing one of their own sons taking an
active part in the game. A more decided and pleasing change was
manifested in the young women, who acted as servants within the houses.
Their clean, tidy, and healthy appearance, like that of the dairy-maids
in England, formed a wonderful contrast with the women of the filthy
hovels in Kororadika. The wives of the missionaries tried to persuade
them not to be tattooed; but a famous operator having arrived from the
south, they said, "We really must just have a few lines on our lips;
else when we grow old, our lips will shrivel, and we shall be so very
ugly." There is not nearly so much tattooing as formerly; but as it is
a badge of distinction between the chief and the slave, it will
probably long be practised. So soon does any train of ideas become
habitual, that the missionaries told me that even in their eyes a plain
face looked mean, and not like that of a New Zealand gentleman.
Late in the evening I went to Mr. Williams's house, where I passed the
night. I found there a large party of children, collected together for
Christmas Day, and all sitting round a table at tea. I never saw a
nicer or more merry group; and to think that this was in the centre of
the land of cannibalism, murder, and all atrocious crimes! The
cordiality and happiness so plainly pictured in the faces of the little
circle, appeared equally felt by the older persons of the mission.
December 24th.--In the morning, prayers were read in the native tongue
to the whole family. After breakfast I rambled about the gardens and
farm. This was a market-day, when the natives of the surrounding
hamlets bring their potatoes, Indian corn, or pigs, to exchange for
blankets, tobacco, and sometimes, through the persuasions of the
missionaries, for soap. Mr. Davies's eldest son, who manages a farm of
his own, is the man of business in the market. The children of the
missionaries, who came while young to the island, understand the
language better than their parents, and can get anything more readily
done by the natives.
A little before noon Messrs. Williams and Davies walked with me to a
part of a neighbouring forest, to show me the famous kauri pine. I
measured one of the noble trees, and found it thirty-one feet in
circumference above the roots. There was another close by, which I did
not see, thirty-three feet; and I heard of one no less than forty feet.
These trees are remarkable for their smooth cylindrical boles, which
run up to a height of sixty, and even ninety feet, with a nearly equal
diameter, and without a single branch. The crown of branches at the
summit is out of all proportion small to the trunk; and the leaves are
likewise small compared with the branches. The forest was here almost
composed of the kauri; and the largest trees, from the parallelism of
their sides, stood up like gigantic columns of wood. The timber of the
kauri is the most valuable production of the island; moreover, a
quantity of resin oozes from the bark, which is sold at a penny a pound
to the Americans, but its use was then unknown. Some of the New
Zealand forest must be impenetrable to an extraordinary degree. Mr.
Matthews informed me that one forest only thirty-four miles in width,
and separating two inhabited districts, had only lately, for the first
time, been crossed. He and another missionary, each with a party of
about fifty men, undertook to open a road, but it cost more than a
fortnight's labour! In the woods I saw very few birds. With regard to
animals, it is a most remarkable fact, that so large an island,
extending over more than 700 miles in latitude, and in many parts
ninety broad, with varied stations, a fine climate, and land of all
heights, from 14,000 feet downwards, with the exception of a small rat,
did not possess one indigenous animal. The several species of that
gigantic genus of birds, the Deinornis seem here to have replaced
mammiferous quadrupeds, in the same manner as the reptiles still do at
the Galapagos archipelago. It is said that the common Norway rat, in
the short space of two years, annihilated in this northern end of the
island, the New Zealand species. In many places I noticed several
sorts of weeds, which, like the rats, I was forced to own as
countrymen. A leek has overrun whole districts, and will prove very
troublesome, but it was imported as a favour by a French vessel. The
common dock is also widely disseminated, and will, I fear, for ever
remain a proof of the rascality of an Englishman, who sold the seeds
for those of the tobacco plant.
On returning from our pleasant walk to the house, I dined with Mr.
Williams; and then, a horse being lent me, I returned to the Bay of
Islands. I took leave of the missionaries with thankfulness for their
kind welcome, and with feelings of high respect for their
gentlemanlike, useful, and upright characters. I think it would be
difficult to find a body of men better adapted for the high office
which they fulfil.
Christmas Day.--In a few more days the fourth year of our absence from
England will be completed. Our first Christmas Day was spent at
Plymouth, the second at St. Martin's Cove, near Cape Horn; the third at
Port Desire, in Patagonia; the fourth at anchor in a wild harbour in
the peninsula of Tres Montes, this fifth here, and the next, I trust in
Providence, will be in England. We attended divine service in the
chapel of Pahia; part of the service being read in English, and part in
the native language. Whilst at New Zealand we did not hear of any
recent acts of cannibalism; but Mr. Stokes found burnt human bones
strewed round a fire-place on a small island near the anchorage; but
these remains of a comfortable banquet might have been lying there for
several years. It is probable that the moral state of the people will
rapidly improve. Mr. Bushby mentioned one pleasing anecdote as a proof
of the sincerity of some, at least, of those who profess Christianity.
One of his young men left him, who had been accustomed to read prayers
to the rest of the servants. Some weeks afterwards, happening to pass
late in the evening by an outhouse, he saw and heard one of his men
reading the Bible with difficulty by the light of the fire, to the
others. After this the party knelt and prayed: in their prayers they
mentioned Mr. Bushby and his family, and the missionaries, each
separately in his respective district.
December 26th.--Mr. Bushby offered to take Mr. Sulivan and myself in
his boat some miles up the river to Cawa-Cawa, and proposed afterwards
to walk on to the village of Waiomio, where there are some curious
rocks. Following one of the arms of the bay, we enjoyed a pleasant
row, and passed through pretty scenery, until we came to a village,
beyond which the boat could not pass. From this place a chief and a
party of men volunteered to walk with us to Waiomio, a distance of four
miles. The chief was at this time rather notorious from having lately
hung one of his wives and a slave for adultery. When one of the
missionaries remonstrated with him he seemed surprised, and said he
thought he was exactly following the English method. Old Shongi, who
happened to be in England during the Queen's trial, expressed great
disapprobation at the whole proceeding: he said he had five wives, and
he would rather cut off all their heads than be so much troubled about
one. Leaving this village, we crossed over to another, seated on a
hill-side at a little distance. The daughter of a chief, who was still
a heathen, had died there five days before. The hovel in which she had
expired had been burnt to the ground: her body being enclosed between
two small canoes, was placed upright on the ground, and protected by an
enclosure bearing wooden images of their gods, and the whole was
painted bright red, so as to be conspicuous from afar. Her gown was
fastened to the coffin, and her hair being cut off was cast at its
foot. The relatives of the family had torn the flesh of their arms,
bodies, and faces, so that they were covered with clotted blood; and
the old women looked most filthy, disgusting objects. On the following
day some of the officers visited this place, and found the women still
howling and cutting themselves.
We continued our walk, and soon reached Waiomio. Here there are some
singular masses of limestone, resembling ruined castles. These rocks
have long served for burial places, and in consequence are held too
sacred to be approached. One of the young men, however, cried out, "Let
us all be brave," and ran on ahead; but when within a hundred yards,
the whole party thought better of it, and stopped short. With perfect
indifference, however, they allowed us to examine the whole place. At
this village we rested some hours, during which time there was a long
discussion with Mr. Bushby, concerning the right of sale of certain
lands. One old man, who appeared a perfect genealogist, illustrated the
successive possessors by bits of stick driven into the ground. Before
leaving the houses a little basketful of roasted sweet potatoes was
given to each of our party; and we all, according to the custom,
carried them away to eat on the road. I noticed that among the women
employed in cooking, there was a man-slave: it must be a humiliating
thing for a man in this warlike country to be employed in doing that
which is considered as the lowest woman's work. Slaves are not allowed
to go to war; but this perhaps can hardly be considered as a hardship.
I heard of one poor wretch who, during hostilities, ran away to the
opposite party; being met by two men, he was immediately seized; but as
they could not agree to whom he should belong, each stood over him with
a stone hatchet, and seemed determined that the other at least should
not take him away alive. The poor man, almost dead with fright, was
only saved by the address of a chief's wife. We afterwards enjoyed a
pleasant walk back to the boat, but did not reach the ship till late in
the evening.
December 30th.--In the afternoon we stood out of the Bay of Islands, on
our course to Sydney. I believe we were all glad to leave New Zealand.
It is not a pleasant place. Amongst the natives there is absent that
charming simplicity which is found in Tahiti; and the greater part of
the English are the very refuse of society. Neither is the country
itself attractive. I look back but to one bright spot, and that is
Waimate, with its Christian inhabitants.