- may have misconducted themselves; their Parents, exceedingly respectable, perhaps, are in the habit of applying to the Captains in the Whale Fishery to take them a Whaling Voyage, being the longest Voyage they can send young Men on, to break off improper Connexions; they may have found those, mixing with Sailors of bad Character, are not improved. These are the Class of Men who are settled at New Zealand and the South Sea Islands.
The Men with whom you had the Conversation you have referred to with respect to a larger Number of Europeans settling there, were only in the Situation of private Sailors?
- Only private Sailors.
Had they been Slaves or free Men?
- They had been Slaves. From the Inquiries I have made, I have ascertained that though a Man who is captured is a Slave his Children are not Slaves.
Is it from good Authority you know that if a Man is captured in War he is a Slave, but his Children are not Slaves?
- I have just ascertained it from the New Zealand Chief in the other Room.
Do you know how your Captains of Ships induced those Men to come on board?
- By the Offer of giving them Blankets and Clothing for a certain Time of Servitude.
Is the Bargain then with the individual Slave or the Master of the Slave?
- I believe with the Master, but I am not quite clear; in some Instances with the Man himself, where he is free, but I cannot answer with regard to the Slave. Each of those Men on his Return took a double-barrelled Fowling piece as a Present to his Master; that was his own doing; not the Act of the Captain.
Those Men are gone back?
- Yes; they went some Months ago. They expressed their Determination to return; not to reside in New Zealand.
Were they Christians?
- They were; they expressed themselves to be so.
Do they live as moral and correct a Life as Men of the same Class in this Country?
- I should say more so; I had a great many Opportunities of seeing them; they separated from the Crews of the Vessels as soon as they came home, and they conducted themselves, during the Three Months they remained here, as well as any Men could possibly do.
Did they speak with Gratitude of the Exertions of Missionaries in New Zealand, or the contrary?
- I have met with some Instances where they have spoken with Gratitude; but the Two Men whom I allude to expressed some Doubt or some Feeling as to the Missionaries setting about to teach them, and not instructing their own Countrymen, the Sailors of Ships which go out. In fact they have advised in many Instances the Natives not to associate with the Crews of the Ships; to avoid them; and the Two last Men expressed some Feeling upon that Subject. They thought that the Missionaries should take more Notice of their own Countrymen.
Do any of the Natives you have on board your Vessel rise above the common Seamen?
- No, not any in our Vessels.
They are perfectly capable?
- I should imagine so; I do not know whether they would be qualified for the Situation of Mates. Some of them can read and write a little.
Their Intelligence is sufficient?
- Perfectly sufficient; I am certain of that.
