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/119

 Rh Which do you consider the best Island to have Land in; the North or the South Island?
 * The Northern Island is a great deal better than the Southern. There are many high Mountains in the South.

Suppose an Englishman wished to purchase Land, must he ask only the Chief, or all the Tribe?
 * He must ask the Chief first, if he has the Right. He asks one Chief, and if he will not, he goes to another Chief, who says, “Very good,”— if he wants to buy Land, to build a House on, or to keep Things for Sale.

Who gets the Powder and Musket, and Tobacco, and Blanket, given for Land?
 * If I sell my Land they will give it me; but I give it away to all the People; I do not keep it myself; they give me a Part.

Do you give Cookee any thing?
 * I give Cookee some. I give the Land to Englishmen.

Supposing an Englishman wanted to buy, must he ask the Cookees?
 * No.

Do you sell the Cookee too, supposing an Englishman buys Land?
 * No. But if any one wishes to buy one of my Cookees I will sell him.

Suppose you sell Land to an Englishman, who gives you a Blanket, do you give the Cookee with the Land, or take the Cookee away?
 * I take the Cookee away to another Land.

Suppose you wished to sell Land, could you sell it, or must you ask the Areeka of your Tribe?
 * Only me. Areeka has no Power over my Land. I cannot go to the Chief to prevent his selling; and the Chief cannot prevent my selling.

Does the Chief get any Part of the Blanket?
 * No. I keep it for my People, for my Men; nor the Chief does not give any to me.

Suppose you sold Land to an Englishman, and then the Englishman died, would your Son come and take the Land again?
 * No. The New Zealand Children learn to read in a Book,— a New Zealand Boy, and New Zealand Men, like Englishmen; therefore they would not take the Land. They cannot read now— all my Head speaks New Zealand.

How long have you been in England?
 * About Nine Months.

If an Englishman buys Land from you is it straight that he should sell that Land to me?
 * I have never seen any of those Sales. I have seen one Place where an Englishman gave a Cannon for an Island.

Suppose a Chief who has Land dies, what becomes of his Land?
 * All the People have it.

Not his Children?
 * No; all the People.

Do the Cookees get any Land when the Chief dies?
 * No. The Cookee comes to live there, but he has no Land given him. They can grow Potatoes and Cabbage, and so on. It is all Gentleman's Land; the Cookees work upon it. In England it is different, for a poor Man is obliged to walk about the Road, and has no Place to grow Potatoes.

When a Chief dies who is the new Chief; is it his Son?
 * They do not make the Son Chief.

How do they do it?
 * A Number of People come in one Place, some very great Orator, some one who can speak very well, stands up, and proposes some one to be Chief.

Do they ever disagree about it, and is that ever the Cause of War?
 * They say, “I like it as well;” they all agree with the first Speaker.

Would you like more English to come there than there are now?
 * I like it. I do not know what my Countrymen would like. I think they would like it too, because they like even the bad People now. I think they would like Gentlemen.

Would you like New Zealand to be under English Laws, that if a Man killed another, he should be punished as he is in England?
 * People like me do not understand, but the Children who are taught to read would like English People, and would like that.

Would you like all your Cookees to be made no Cookees, but free?
 * No. If I were to die then they would be free, but not while I live.

If a New Zealander kills a Man does the Chief kill him?
 * If they fight and kill one with a Spear the Brother comes and kills that Man.

Where a Chief is buried the Place is taboo'd?
 * It is.

(123.3.)