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/66

 62 : a Chart of the World, and after Two or Three Days they have told me, that is New Zealand, that is England, that is South America, that is New South Wales; they are very quick. They build very fine Canoes. They frequently cross over from the Northern Island to the Southern Island across Cook's Straits, and they will for some Days study the Appearances of the celestial Hemisphere before they venture.

It is only from public Report you know that the Missionaries have purchased large Tracts of Land?
 * Yes; it is only from public Report; but still we are so near, at New South Wales, it is so notorious, that I think it must be true that they possess very large Tracts of Land.

Have you never heard that their Labours had been very useful in New Zealand?
 * No, I never have, of their being very useful, though they may have done some Good.

Do you not believe that they have done a great deal in making a great many of the Natives Christians?
 * I believe they have; I think they have done some Good in civilizing the New Zealander, at the same Time enriching themselves. I am very anxious to see the New Zealander civilized.

Are you aware whether there are any Missionaries in that Country from Roman Catholics?
 * I do not think there are any whatever. Some of the Natives do make a little Fun of the Missionaries; but I think certainly they have done some Good.

Are they not generally respected by the Natives of the Country?
 * I think they are. I have seen some of them come up to New South Wales; the Natives appear to pay great Respect to them.

Where did you go first?
 * I went first to Kaffea Harbour on the West Side, just off Gannet Island.

How many Days did it take to go from Sydney?
 * I think we were about Seven Days; we had strong Westerly Winds.

The Wesleyan Missionaries are more on that Side of the Island than the other, are they not?
 * They are; there are a great many at Hokianga, and I have no Doubt there are Rivers in Kaffea Harbour that join the Hokianga.

Is the Timber that they use for Canoes likely to be a valuable Export?
 * For Spars and Masts of Ships. We have built Ships of it at New South Wales; but it is too light and soft. It is fit for Spars and Masts of Ships, and so on. It is used for Flooring-boards; but it engenders the White Ant.

You say that the New Zealander has a great deal of Acuteness in respect of bargaining; how do you reconcile that with their having sold their Land at so small a Price?
 * I think they have not known the Value of their Land.

Were the Natives you saw frequently engaged in Wars?
 * War appears to be the Profession of the whole of the New Zealanders.

They are Cannibals, are they not?
 * I do not think they are amongst themselves, but that they eat their Prisoners. They do not like Flesh. They told me they did not eat even their Pigs. They are very large; they never eat them except to celebrate a Victory. They keep them for the Purposes of Trade; they are very fond of Trade.

Have they fixed Habitations; regular Villages or small Towns?
 * Yes.

They are not Wanderers?
 * No; their Lands and their different Counties and Districts are as well known among them, in my Opinion, as our Counties are in this Country. Rh