information I procured at Sydney, I have no
doubt but that the Captain himself was the
most in fault.
He was commissioned by the government
of New South Wales to land a native chief
named Philip at New Zealand, whom he subjected
to a cruel and impolitic punishment.
This man, smarting from his stripes, and
burning with a desire to revenge his dishonourable
treatment, excited all his friends to the
commission of that bloody massacre.
The tragic fate of the “ Boyd’s ” crew is
now fast sinking into oblivion ; and like the
islanders of Owhyee after the murder of
Cook, they seem to wish to obliterate the rewith
a little more civility, that he would havé informed
him of his danger, and saved the ship; but that from
being treated in the manner I have mentioned, he entered
into the plot along with the others.
“ I assure you it has been a most unpleasant thing
for me to write about, and I could only have been induced
to do it from a sense of duty, and a desire to
give you all the information in my power, which I suppose
may be of some use.
“ I am, Sir,
« Your obedient humble servant,
“ Al ex a n d e r B e r r y .”
membrance of their disgraceful conduct by a
kind and friendly intercourse with our nation.
The severe chastisement which they have
always received from us after a treacherous
action, has proved to them how little they
gain by so debasing a line of conduct: and as
they are most anxious to possess many of our
productions, they seem to have come to a
resolution to abandon their former system ;
which, if they may not be sensible of the injustice
of, they see is destructive to their own
interests; and now every chief is as solicitous
for the safety of a European vessel, as he would
have been formerly for its destruction.
They have not only lost a portion of their
ferocity, but also much of their native simplicity
of character, which, in all parts of the
world, is so highly interesting a study for the
traveller. Their constant intercourse with
whalers, who are generally low, unpolished
men, leaves behind it a tinge of vulgarity, of
which the native women retain the largest
portion. In many instances, they quite spoil
their good looks, by half adopting the ’European
costume. Those who are living in the
E