quently a witness to the short space of time
they took to erect their houses j and, though
small, they are tight, weather-proof, and
warm: their storehouses are put together in
the most substantial and workmanlike manner.
It is very difficult to make the New Zealanders
explain the nature of their religious
belief. One superstition seems general with
all the tribes respecting the formation of the
world ; or, rather, of their own island ; for that
is the place of the first importance in their
estimation. They say a man, or a god, or
some great spirit, was fishing in his war-
canoe, and pulled up a large fish, which instantly
turned into an island; and a lizard
came upon that, and brought up a man out
of the water by his long hair; and he was
the father of all the New Zealanders. Almost
all their grotesque carvings are illustrations
of this idea in some way or other. The favourite
theme on which (I observed) the missionaries
discoursed to them, were “ the torments
of hell.” This has become a subject
of ridicule to most of the natives: they do
not deny that there may be such a place;
but they add, it is not for them 5 for if Atua
had intended it so, he would have sent them
word about it long before he sent the white
men into their country: and they conclude
by stating that they know perfectly well the
situation of the island where they are to go to
after this life.
While remaining here wind-bound, in imaginary
security, and amusing ourselves with
noticing the curious customs and peculiarities
of these islanders, a dreadful tragedy was
taking place only a few miles’ distance from
us, and to which I before alluded, when I
mentioned crossing the bar on our first arrival
from Port Jackson. “ The Enterprise”
schooner, a very fine vessel, which was built
at the settlement on this river, had been sent
to Sydney; and, while we were lying there,
we were in hourly expectation of her return.
She did return. The unfavourable weather
which detained us so long proved fatal to
her; and she was wrecked a few miles to the
northward of the river’s mouth, and every soul
on board perished.