Page:Extracts from the letters and journals of George Fletcher Moore.djvu/249

 Rh from his master, and come off in a trading ship,—a common practice. His manner, language, and appearance differed very much from my preconceived notions of the ferocity and cannibalism of the New Zealanders; and yet he acknowledges without hesitation the latter horrifying propensity and practice in propriâ personâ. The countenance of this man, however, is pleasing and good-humoured; his manners obliging; his language very soft, even to effeminacy; his person large and full; and his limbs rounded and smooth: his name is Ech-to-to.

On pointing out to him one of the plants of this country resembling New Zealand flax, he called it Am-su-rah, and said it was the same sort of plant, but smaller than that of his country. I shall not bore you with my imperfect attempts at his vocabulary further than to say, that his word expressive of dissent (synonymous with our "no") is ca-oo-ue (the oo sounded like the French eu); and that the word "woman" he expressed by "wyena" (mind—not "hyena").

The boxes of clothes have arrived; but those of a dress description are not in demand: indeed it would be incongruous to embark new settlers in the fopperies of dress, or to divert them in any way (beyond moderate recreation and the enjoyment of limited society) from the habits of their industry, and the objects of their emigration.—