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/34

 30 Is there any kind of Connexion or Reasoning in those long Discourses?
 * Yes. I fancy from the little I could understand of the Language, and what I have heard, they reason very acutely indeed; and they have their Assistants to sit with them as Reporters to assist them to remember the Speech. In case they would forget something they would refer to their Friends, who are to remember as much as they can, but others are to remember other Points.

Where you find a Tribe at all under the Influence of Christianity, do you find that it is a divided Worship, or that they have thrown away their Idols?
 * That they have entirely thrown away their Idols; and some have built Churches of their own Accord. The Church at Paihia is Three Times the Size of this Room; I have seen that quite full; and I have seen Canoes going on the Sunday Morning with Natives to various Villages around; the Canoe had perhaps Five or Six Natives going together; one would be put down at one Village and another of them at another, till all had left but the last, who would go a little further; he would remain till he thought it Time to return to the respective Settlements, calling for those he had left, so that each one would be reading the Prayers and so on with the various Natives.

Are the Slaves, when they get into European Hands, content with their Lot generally?
 * If they are well treated they will be content, if not they will run away.

What is done in that Case?
 * I believe they are allowed to go, an English Person thinking it not worth his while to keep them by Force.

You have never known an Instance of a European Proprietor wishing to get back a refractory Slave?
 * I have not.

Would they have any Means of getting them back?
 * Not without the Interference of the first Owner.

Would the Natives harbour him?
 * Frequently. If they thought he had been ill-used they would help him by all Means, and sometimes Retribution for the Ill-usage would be demanded.

What is done with the Wives of the Slaves?
 * They generally go with the Slaves for household Work; but the Slaves, in Purchases of that Kind, have no Wives frequently. Most of the Slaves have no regular Wives; they merely have promiscuous Intercourse with the Women.

Is that the Case with the Masters themselves?
 * The Chief has frequently Five or Six Women as Wives, but frequently he has promiscuous Intercourse with the other Women.

It is not considered a great Offence?
 * No, not on the Part of a White; but if a Slave has promiscuous Intercourse with the Chief's Wives it is considered a great Offence, and he is punished with Death.

Do you think the Slaves in the Hands of Europeans are treated as well as with the Natives?
 * They are better treated generally, setting aside the Instruction; but they will not stay with any Person who will not instruct them; they run away.

They are better treated in other respects?
 * Yes.

Do they purchase Slaves with the Property?
 * No, not with the Property; they agree with the Chiefs independently of the Property.

You say an immense Number of the Chiefs and Natives have the Venerea Disease?
 * Yes, a great many; but there are more of the Women who have the Disease than the Men. I should think there are very few of the Women who do not suffer under it. Rh