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/41

 Rh What did you collect to be their Opinions or their Wishes about that?
 * They wished to have some Protection.

What did they mean by Protection?
 * They seemed to feel, as they stated to me, that if they were left to themselves they would by their own Countrymen soon be dead.

Do you mean that they should destroy each other?
 * Yes; they had no Safety of their Lives; they had, as far as we were able to protect them, fled to us; when we receive them into our Employ the Natives look upon them as devoted to us, and that makes them sacred; they think that if they touch them they are touching us.

Were you present and privy to any Purchases of Land?
 * Yes; I was present at one in January 1836.

By whom was that Purchase made?
 * By Mr. William Fairburn, Catechist of the Church Missionary Society.

Was that to a large Extent?
 * It was a Purchase very large; it is termed, by some of the Europeans in New Zealand, a whole County; it was purchased for his Children.

In what Way was that conducted; who were present of the Natives?
 * Many Chiefs were present, and sanctioned it; there were some Natives that did not sanction it, stating, that it had been purchased by Europeans before, or some Gentlemen in England; and they said it was not straight that Mr. Fairburn should buy it.

That it was not straight that it should be sold a Second Time?
 * Yes; they considered it not right.

Did any Instrument or Document pass on that Occasion?
 * Yes; there were, I think, Two Sheets of Foolscap Paper; One I think was English and the other was Native; it was drawn up in English and Native, on Foolscap Paper.

Was that signed by any Persons?
 * It was signed by the Reverend Henry Williams, Mr. Fairburn, myself, and Mr. James Preece, a Catechist of the Church Missionary Society.

You signed as Witnesses?
 * Yes.

Was it signed by the Chiefs?
 * Yes, by those who could write, and the others made a Mark.

Was it such an Instrument that you were quite satisfied it was a Transaction fair and secure?
 * Quite so; they appeared anxious that it should commence immediately to be cultivated by employing their Party to cultivate it.

Are you prepared to say that you are satisfied, from what passed upon that Occasion, that they looked to that Land being cultivated by the Purchaser through native Workmen?
 * Yes; that was stated by them, that it was to be cultivated in Agriculture for Mr. William Fairburn's Children.

Was much of the Land in a State of Cultivation?
 * Not a Yard of it. After this Purchase Mr. Hamlin, Mr. Chapman, Mr. Brown, Mr. Preece, and Mr. Fairburn assembled at Tamaka and held a Committee. I was present, but not one of the Committee. There was a Resolution passed, that Mr. Fairburn should commence cultivating his Land by settling upon it; taking his Natives connected with him from the former Settlement, Puriri, which was given up. It was expected that he would remove, immediately after we left, from Puriri to Tamaka. We had Materials on board the Columbine, the Society's Schooner, to commence building—Wood, and so on. As we were lying there several Days, I went ashore on this Purchase, and examined it, and found it to be a very rich Soil, close to a fine Bay, where there is Room for almost any Number of Ships to anchor, with deep Water, Three Fathoms, close in. It

(123.1.)