This Warlike Spirit Is Evident In Many
Of Their Customs, And Even In Their Smallest Actions.
If a
New Zealander is struck, although but in joke, the blow
must be returned and of this I saw an instance with one
of our officers.
At the present day, from the progress of civilization, there
is much less warfare, except among some of the southern
tribes. I heard a characteristic anecdote of what took place
some time ago in the south. A missionary found a chief and
his tribe in preparation for war; - their muskets clean and
bright, and their ammunition ready. He reasoned long on
the inutility of the war, and the little provocation which
had been given for it. The chief was much shaken in his
resolution, and seemed in doubt: but at length it occurred
to him that a barrel of his gunpowder was in a bad state, and
that it would not keep much longer. This was brought forward
as an unanswerable argument for the necessity of immediately
declaring war: the idea of allowing so much good
gunpowder to spoil was not to be thought of; and this settled
the point. I was told by the missionaries that in the
life of Shongi, the chief who visited England, the love of
war was the one and lasting spring of every action. The
tribe in which he was a principal chief had at one time been
oppressed by another tribe from the Thames River. A
solemn oath was taken by the men that when their boys
should grow up, and they should be powerful enough, they
would never forget or forgive these injuries. To fulfil this
oath appears to have been Shongi's chief motive for going
to England; and when there it was his sole object. Presents
were valued only as they could be converted into arms;
of the arts, those alone interested him which were connected
with the manufacture of arms. When at Sydney, Shongi,
by a strange coincidence, met the hostile chief of the Thames
River at the house of Mr. Marsden: their conduct was civil
to each other; but Shongi told him that when again in New
Zealand he would never cease to carry war into his country.
The challenge was accepted; and Shongi on his return fulfilled
the threat to the utmost letter. The tribe on the
Thames River was utterly overthrown, and the chief to
whom the challenge had been given was himself killed.
Shongi, although harbouring such deep feelings of hatred
and revenge, is described as having been a good-natured
person.
In the evening I went with Captain Fitz Roy and Mr.
Baker, one of the missionaries, to pay a visit to Kororadika:
we wandered about the village, and saw and conversed with
many of the people, both men, women, and children. Looking
at the New Zealander, one naturally compares him with
the Tahitian; both belonging to the same family of mankind.
The comparison, however, tells heavily against the New
Zealander. He may, perhaps be superior in energy, but
in every other respect his character is of a much lower
order. One glance at their respective expressions, brings
conviction to the mind that one is a savage, the other a
civilized man. It would be vain to seek in the whole of
New Zealand a person with the face and mien of the old
Tahitian chief Utamme. No doubt the extraordinary manner
in which tattooing is here practised, gives a disagreeable
expression to their countenances. The complicated but
symmetrical figures covering the whole face, puzzle and mislead
an unaccustomed eye: it is moreover probable, that the deep
incisions, by destroying the play of the superficial muscles,
give an air of rigid inflexibility. But, besides this, there is
a twinkling in the eye, which cannot indicate anything but
cunning and ferocity. Their figures are tall and bulky; but
not comparable in elegance with those of the working-
classes in Tahiti.
But their persons and houses are filthily dirty and offensive:
the idea of washing either their bodies or their clothes
never seems to enter their heads. I saw a chief, who was
wearing a shirt black and matted with filth, and when asked
how it came to be so dirty, he replied, with surprise, "Do
not you see it is an old one?" Some of the men have shirts;
but the common dress is one or two large blankets, generally
black with dirt, which are thrown over their shoulders in a
very inconvenient and awkward fashion. A few of the principal
chiefs have decent suits of English clothes; but these
are only worn on great occasions.
December 23rd. - At a place called Waimate, about fifteen
miles from the Bay of Islands, and midway between the
eastern and western coasts, the missionaries have purchased
some land for agricultural purposes. I had been introduced
to the Rev. W. Williams, who, upon my expressing a wish,
invited me to pay him a visit there. Mr. Bushby, the British
resident, offered to take me in his boat by a creek, where I
should see a pretty waterfall, and by which means my
walk would be shortened. He likewise procured for me a
guide.
Upon asking a neighbouring chief to recommend a man, the
chief himself offered to go; but his ignorance of the value
of money was so complete, that at first he asked how many
pounds I would give him, but afterwards was well contented
with two dollars. When I showed the chief a very small
bundle, which I wanted carried, it became absolutely necessary
for him to take a slave. These feelings of pride are
beginning to wear away; but formerly a leading man would
sooner have died, than undergone the indignity of carrying
the smallest burden. My companion was a light active man,
dressed in a dirty blanket, and with his face completely
tattooed. He had formerly been a great warrior. He appeared
to be on very cordial terms with Mr. Bushby; but at
various times they had quarrelled violently.
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