Page:Report from the Select Committee of the House of Lords, appointed to inquire into the present state of the Islands of New Zealand.pdf/18

J. L. Nicholas, Esq.

and Potatoes and Indian Wheat they will give up for any thing of that Kind. Blankets also were taken in exchange.

Did you observe whether they were more pleased with Trinkets and Baubles or with Articles of Utility?

They were more pleased with Articles that supplied their Necessities, Spades, and Pots for boiling their Potatoes, and Blankets. Tobacco certainly is a frivolous Thing, but they are more pleased with that than with any thing else; and Spirits they were pleased with also.

They have got to like them?

Yes.

During the Time you were there what was the State of the European Population?

The European Population may be divided into Two Classes, the Missionaries and the Lay Class. The Missionaries entirely enjoy their Confidence, and the others do not; the others I should say are a great Mischief to them; introducing every thing which is bad amongst them.

By Missionaries do you mean both the Clergymen and the Catechists and others connected with them?

Yes, I meant all the Catechists as well as the Clergy ; the Natives made no Distinction between the Catechists and the regular Clergymen; they are all called Clergymen; I found they were all much respected.

Are they respected as much as they were?

Quite as much, or more; I should fancy their Influence is increasing gradually. To be friendly with the Missionaries is to be friendly with the Natives. From having been seen with the Missionaries they used to call me the Missionary Doctor; I was admitted into their Houses everywhere whenever I pleased to go.

Can you form any Judgment as to the Amount of European Population when you were there?

That must be of course a very rough Estimate. The runaway Sailors and Convicts, and all that low Class, may amount to 400 or 500 Individuals; I should fancy that from One or Two being in every Tribe, and in many Five or Six, exclusive of the Missionaries, and who call themselves respectable English People; those have Shops there, and Stores for Ships, and such like Things. Though they join with the European Sailors in general against the Missionaries, yet they are a little superior to the other, at the same Time they have no Influence with the Natives when there is any Difficulty between any Two of the Natives or any One Native and either of the English People; they do not go at all to Masters of Vessels or those independent Settlers, but they go at once to the Missionaries; Mr. Henry Williams especially, if he is at home; he has always the Preference, and indeed he is so esteemed among them that they have frequently offered to make him a Chief, which he has at all Times rejected; I know that to be the Case; it was done when I was there. I attended Mrs. Busby, the British Resident's Lady, there, and put her to bed of her first Child, and a Day or Two afterwards they came to plunder the Place, and shot at the House several Times.

The Natives?

Yes. It was not known at the Time I was there who did it; but I have heard since that they have ascertained the Individual, and that there has been a Spot of Ground given, I believe, to Mr. Busby in consequence; a Spot of Ground has been given up from the Natives in consequence of the Affray. At that Time the Natives were very vigilant in endeavouring to find who was the Aggressor; at the Time I was there it was not found out. The Consequence of that Skirmish was, that I went round the Shipping to get them to give their Opinion upon the Case, and to call a Meeting to petition the Home Government for Power to arrest those Things; I have a copy of the Petition I brought home.

Was it at all known then what was the particular Motive or Cause which led to that Attack?

It was not known at all, further than it was supposed in consequence of his being a Servant of the King, as they call the British Resident; he being theauthoritative