- showed it. She said , “What a Fool you are! it was not yours.” I said, “I am aware of that.” She then described how it was done. They destroy the Children generally by pressing the Nose until Life is extinct. I said, “How should you have liked it if your Mother had served you the same?” She said, “Oh, I should have been pleased at it; I should not have been the poor miserable Thing I have been, to be knocked about by a Master or a Husband.”
Is this Woman a Slave?
- A free Woman; one of the middling Class. Another Woman was supposed to have killed Eight Children of her own; she had Two Children by the Master of a Whaler. Their principal Reason is that they have not Food to bring them up when unmarried; it is principally the unmarried Women who have the Trouble of procuring them Food; they cannot go about their Plantations, for they have nobody to take care of their Children.
Why should the Trouble of getting Food have increased in consequence of Europeans having settled there?
- I should not say the Crime of Infanticide had increased; on the contrary, it has decreased much since Europeans have been amongst them.
If it has decreased since Europeans have been amongst them, which has been Thirty Years, how do you account for the Depopulation which is rapidly taking place?
- Polygamy is another Cause of the Decrease which has taken place.
Has that increased?
- No; but Wars have increased.
Do you think that Wars have been increased since Europeans have been there?
- Yes; but not through Europeans.
How do you account for the Increase of Wars?
- I cannot account for the Wars having increased; but the Increase has been since Europeans have been there. It is supposed the Europeans have caused it. I believe among the Tribes where the Europeans have been living the Decrease has been greater. In the Sandwich Islands it is supposed no Woman would have Two Children who lived with an Englishman.
Do you refer to the Decrease of the Population among those who have had Communication with the Europeans?
- No.
Do you apprehend that the Decrease among those who have been connected with the Europeans has been greater than among the other Tribes?
- The principal Cause of the Decrease was the Wars on the first Introduction of Fire-arms; that must of course decrease them, for those who have no Fire-arms are obliged to give in to those who have; that was so when E’Ongi came to England. His Majesty George the Fourth thought fit to allow him a Number of Arms and Ammunition. He determined to be superior to all. The Governor of New South Wales gave him Cows and serviceable Things; those he exchanged for Arms; he extirpated the whole Tribes on the River Thames, and made dreadful Ravages all over the Islands. Where there were no Muskets the Natives on the South of the Island invited Europeans, and told them they would dress them any Quantity of Flax if they would come among them and give them Arms for their Defence; and the Missionaries stated that at Tauranga, where all had Muskets, they have acted only, so far as they have known, on the defensive.
You account for the Decrease of the Population from Muskets, Powder, and Ball having been sent to that Country?
- Yes, at first; but that has remedied itself, for at the present Day there is less Harm done in a War with Fire-arms than there was formerly. In May last there was a War in the Bay of Islands; I was there; there were about Thirty to Forty Canoes went every Day to fight at a Fortification up the River. I may say, without Exaggeration, on my Oath, that at least 20,000 Round of Ball Cartridge was expended daily when they went out. The Return of the killed
