Page:Report from the Select Committee of the House of Lords, appointed to inquire into the present state of the Islands of New Zealand.pdf/103

 Rh What is your Opinion of the Intellect of the Children?
 * I do not think they are particularly clever, there are Children who are clever, but I had one myself who was not particularly clever.

The Mr. Williams you speak of was a Clergyman?
 * Yes; both are now Clergymen. Mr. William Williams was brought up as a Surgeon.

The Missionaries have very little Authority over the White Residents at the Bay of Islands, have they?
 * Very little. They have erected a Chapel at Kororika, and one of the Missionaries goes over there every Sunday; some attend, but not many.

Had you ever any Means of inquiring of the Natives of what Religion they were, or whether they professed any prior to the Missionaries going there?
 * No. I could not speak the Language sufficiently to obtain that Information from themselves, but they certainly had some Notions of Religion; they never undertook any thing without a Prayer.

Did they not read a Prayer over their Dead?
 * I do not know.

From what you saw of the Chiefs, do you think they are enabled to make a fair Bargain in the Sale of their Land to Europeans?
 * I do not. I think that they ought to be treated like Wards in Chancery; that they have not the Experience to make it.

You would then think it desirable, that if a Colony was encouraged to go there, there should be some Persons on the Part of the English Government to see that the Chiefs had fair Play.
 * Certainly; I should treat them like Wards in Chancery.

Would you think it right to have a Protector of the Natives in that Country?
 * I think it would be most necessary and important to the Peace of the Country, for they would know where to go to find a Person to look to their Interests.

Do you know whether they still continue to be Cannibals?
 * Sometimes. They ate a Woman when I was there, which was the Cause of the War which took place this Time Twelvemonth.

How did they get the Woman?
 * I do not know. The Circumstances were not known, except that they found the Place where she had been cooked, in an Island in the Bay of Islands.

The Women commit Infanticide frequently, do they not?
 * I never heard of a Case; they are very kind to their Children.

You never heard that after having a certain Number of Children they killed the others to avoid the Trouble?
 * That is the Case in New South Wales. If they cry too much, or anything else, they do not mind killing them. But the New Zealanders are very different; a Number of Children to them is no Injury at all; they have plenty of Potatoes.

From what Port of New South Wales did you sail?
 * Port Jackson; and we were, I think, Twelve or Thirteen Days going down. We had a very bad Passage, and were very nearly lost in going into the River Hokianga; it is a very bad Entrance.

There is no Steam Boat goes across?
 * No; this was a Vessel to load with Spars for the British Government. There is a tremendous Bar at going in.

It is rather a narrow Inlet, is it not?
 * The Tide runs very strong; if there was not such a Bar it would be a very good River; when inside they can go up with perfect Safety.

There is not a very large Population of Whites at Hokianga, is there?
 * There are a good many scattered all up the River.

You are now doing Duty at Eastbourne, are you not?
 * I am.

(123.3.)