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/38

 34 : at the School every Morning, and commenced at Day-light teaching them to read and write.

Do the Natives evince much Willingness to be taught?
 * They have a very great Desire to be taught to read and write.

You spoke of superintending native Labour; what was the Work?
 * Clearing of the Ground, sawing Timber, gardening, and fencing, &c.

For what Employers?
 * For the Church Missionary Society, subject to Mr. Brown the Missionary.

On what Terms were your Workmen paid; did they receive Wages?
 * We paid them monthly with Duck Trowsers, or Shirts, or Blankets, with Potatoes for their daily Food, and occasionally Flour.

Do you mean that you engaged Labourers for Hire in that Way?
 * The Reverend Mr. Brown engaged them, and I superintended them. We employed them by paying them monthly, and giving them so much in Clothes, or Tobacco, or Slates and Pencils, or Knives or Razors, and other small Articles.

Different Articles were given them in the Nature of Wages?
 * Yes; and Blankets, and so on.

Were you yourself present at any of those Engagements?
 * I agreed myself with Three Natives.

Did they appear thoroughly to understand what the Nature of the Agreement was you were making with them?
 * Perfectly so; they entered into my Service as they called it.

Did you find them when they had made the Agreement to work with you on certain Terms, generally speaking, ready to fulfil those Terms?
 * Yes.

To what Extent was that Settlement as you call it?
 * It was on a small Scale; it had just commenced; it was not commenced till 1834.

It was intended for a new Missionary Station?
 * Yes. Rush Houses were erected for the present, with the Intention to build permanent Houses at some future Day.

At what Distance was that from the Bay of Islands?
 * I should consider it 250 Miles; Fifty Miles up the River Thames.

Are you cognizant at all of the Manner in which that Land was acquired?
 * It was a very small Purchase made at first, but with a Promise that a larger Purchase should be made after we heard from England.

Had you any Communication with any of the Natives about making a larger Purchase?
 * Yes; after I learned the Language the Chiefs frequently told me there was a Promise to that Effect; that it had been postponed from Time to Time, and they wanted to know when it would be fulfilled; I heard that from Waharoa, head Chief.

Did he appear to desire that the Purchase should be fulfilled?
 * Yes, by all Means; he was anxious for the Payment.

Do you mean that he was anxious to part with more Land?
 * He would sell Land to any Extent; more than we were able to find Payment for. Six hundred Acres, I believe I am correct, was allotted, sanctioned by the Committee in England, according to the Public Letter.

That 600 Acres having been thus set apart for the Church Missionary Society, did the Natives respect that as Property, or were Encroachments made upon it?
 * It was never purchased; the Settlement has been given up since that.

Was there any Part purchased?
 * Only a small Part.

Rh