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was a principal cliief, had at one time been much oppressed,
by another 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 for-
oive these injuries. To fulfil this appears to have been
Shongfs 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 were
interesting, which were concerned with the manufacture of
arms. Wlien 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 goodnatured person.
In the evening I went with Captain FitzRoy, and Mr.
Baker, one of the missionaries, to pay a visit to Kororadika.
This is the largest ifillage, and will one day, no doubt increase
till it becomes the chief town : besides a considerable native
population, there are many English residents. These latter are
men of themostwortliless character: and among them are many
runaway convicts from New South Wales. There are many
spirit-shops; and the whole population is addicted to drunkenness
and aU kinds of vice. As this is the capital, a person
would be inclined to form his opinion of the New Zealanders
from what he here saw ; but in this case his estimate of their
character would be too low. This little village is the very
stronffiiold of vice. Although many tribes in other parts
have Embraced Christianity, here the greater part yet reniam
in heathenism. In such places the missionaries are held m
little esteem : but they complain far more of the conduct ol
their countrymen, than of that of the natives. It is strange,
but I have heard these worthy men say, that the only protection
which they need, and on which they rely, is from the
native chiefs against Englishmen.
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, lie 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 e)'e, which cannot indicate any
thing but cunning and ferocity. Their figures are tall and
bulky; but in elegance are not comparable with those of the
working classes in Tahiti.
Both 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.
Considering the number of foreigners residing iu New
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