Page:A Voyage of Discovery and Research in the Southern and Antarctic Regions Vol 2.djvu/91

] doubtful of the advantage of their altered position as they found their power and influence fast passing away into the hands of the settlers, who had flocked from England to this misrepresented colony in thousands, and established themselves in several parts of the northern island. It could not escape the jealous vigilance of the chiefs that the numbers of Europeans were increasing so rapidly that they would soon outnumber themselves, and gain possession of all their lands. Some of the chiefs had already called together large meetings of the natives, under the pretence of a feast, and had harangued them on the subject, especially calling upon them not to sell their lands to the Pakehas (or strangers); and at a sale of land which took place at Auckland, whilst we were at the Bay of Islands, I understood that some of the chiefs attended the auction, and actually re-purchased some of the land they had previously sold. No acts of violence had yet been perpetrated, and the rights of the present possessors of the land had hitherto been perfectly respected; but it cannot be denied, even by the most inveterate maligners of the missionaries, that this forbearance on the part of the natives was mainly due to the influence and persuasion of these good and pious men, who, having endured so much privation and hardship in their zealous endeavours to diffuse amongst the heathens the blessings of Christianity and the knowledge of the Gospel, were much looked up to by them for their advice on all occasions, and for whom,