When you were there, in 1834, you state that the European Population consisted of Five or Six Traders, the Missionaries, and 400 or 500 European Sailors and Convicts?
- Yes. There were other English Residents in Hokianga and Wangaroo, and various other Parts, and about the Thames; there were a few there again of Traders; I cannot exactly enumerate the Traders, but they were very few.
You spoke of Clendon's Store being broken open; did you understand he had given Provocation to the Natives?
- Yes.
It was not a mere Act of Robbery?
- No; it was to revenge some Act of Provocation he had committed.
Can you state whether the Natives are in the habit of selling Land to one another?
- I do not know that; but when the Chief is overcome in Battle his Land is confiscated to the Conqueror.
You are not aware of their exchanging Territories for a Value given?
- I do not know any Instance of the Kind.
Do the Ships which visit the Bay of Islands touch there chiefly for Refreshment, or carrying on Trade?
- For Refreshment, and to trade a little also. There are some Ships from Sydney going there exclusively for Flax; and they took Potatoes up to Sydney in 1834. The Soil in Sydney was very dry; they had no Potatoes there; a great many were sent from New Zealand.
Was there much Timber exported when you were there?
- Not any at that Time, except a few Cargoes to the Coast of South America, and One or Two to London, as well as for His Majesty's Ships.
Have you been in any other Islands of the Pacific?
- In several of them.
Have you been in the Sandwich Islands?
- I have not.
Many other Islands in the Pacific suffer as much Inconvenience as New Zealand from the runaway Convicts, do they not?
- Quite as much, and many more. At Rotwma, a small Island to the North of New Zealand, where the Natives are remarkably mild in their Manners; I have not found any so nearly approaching to civilized Nations; they have a good Government, which we may call a rotatory Monarchy; about Ten Prime Chiefs, who take the Government alternately, and the Ex-chief is to be Prime Minister to the present King.
Do you suppose the Evils incident to the Residence of those Convicts would not be considerably diminished if there were a Resident at One principal Place who had the Power to arrest them?
- There is no Doubt that if Mr. Busby had the Power to arrest and send them away they would be soon frightened; I think they would not come there.
Do you suppose the native Chiefs would assist in arresting such Persons?
- They do now. If any Person runs away from a Ship, and a sufficient Reward is offered to induce the Chiefs to bring the Person back, they will be sure to bring him back.
Suppose an European to commit any Robbery or Injury to another, would the Chiefs assist in the Apprehension of that Man?
- The Chiefs might, if they were bribed and paid for it, but not otherwise; but if a Native were to commit any Depredation of that Kind upon the English, and a Resident interfered, they would do all they could to bring him back.
Do you think they would interfere to prevent the Arrest of a European, if the King's Resident sent a Force to take him?
- If he sent a Force I do not think they would; but if he merely asked them, if he did not bribe them at the same Time, I do not think they would assist him.
