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for some space round them, were all strictly
taboo’d. Some bundles of fish, and some
calabashes filled with oil, were left close by
the body, intended for his consumption during
his passage to the next world.
I imagine that one reason of no outrage
having been committed during this solemn
occasion, was our brig being on the point of
sailing, and previous to her departure a great
deal of traffic was expected to be carried on
with the natives, for there was still a considerable
quantity of muskets undisposed of;
and I think, in this instance, avarice overcame
filial affection,— the minds of the chief’s
family being so intent upon obtaining good bargains,
that they had not time to sit and mourn
over their departed parent, nor to work themselves
up into a paroxysm of passion sufficiently
violent to cause them to murder their
slaves. This afforded me a convincing proof,
that as soon as they are occupied by commerce,
or the useful arts, their barbarous
rites will gradually be discontinued, and will
speedily cease altogether.
Our brig having sailed, we were again alone
with these wild yet interesting people. We
expected our stay might be about six months,
and had provided a stock in trade, consisting
of a barrel of powder, half a dozen muskets,
some fish-hooks, and a quantity of tobacco.
Every thing we possessed we delivered into
the hands of the natives, who accounted to us
for the stock thus intrusted to their management
with the most scrupulous exactness.
Nothing can be fairer than their mode of bartering
with the Europeans: the prices are
fixed; ten large hogs, or 120 baskets of potatoes
(about a ton and a half), are given for
a musket; for small articles, such as fish,
Indian corn, or fruits, the ready money are
fish-hooks and tobacco. As we were now
about to become inhabitants of New Zealand,
it became necessary that we should be well
acquainted with the particulars of their methods
of “ doing business,” and that we should
apply ourselves diligently to the study of the
language, which we acquired much more
readily than I had anticipated.
A few days after the departure of the brig,
I witnessed a specimen of their summary
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