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THE

BY JOHN LIDDIARD NICHOLAS, ESQ. 8vo. PUBLISHED SEPT. 1817.

The

HE world of Islands which the Pa- dition our traveller observed, it will be cific Ocean has unfolded to the cu- our task to communicate to our readers riosity, and we may now add, to the cul- in as condensed a way as the interest of tivation of enlightened Europe, is be- the narrative permits, referring to the coming every day better known to us; work itself, as to one full of curious matand these volumes, connected with the ter, for the omissions our limits render subject, are by no means the least valu- unavoidable. able and entertaining which have recent- New Zealand is as little, if not the ly been submitted to the British public, least known, of the South Sea Islands, The two Islands called New Zealand though it assumes a high rank among were first visited by Abel Jansen Tas- them both from its great extent, and natman, a Dutch navigator from Batavia, ural capacity for improvement. in 1642, who, being attacked on anchor- Rev. Samuel Marsden, Principal Chaping by the natives and four of his men lain of New South Wales, having dekilled, did nothing more than give them termined, with all the zeal of a Missionthe name they now bear, and that of ary and the benevolence of a Christian, "Murderers' Bay" to the strait which to carry civilization into this region, sailseparates the Islands. Captain Cooked from Port Jackson on the 19th Nosailed round them in 1769-1770; and vember, 1814, in the Active of 110 tons, in subsequent voyages, in 1773-4, ex- purchased and fitted out on account of tended his own fame and our knowledge the Church Missionary Society, to carry by further investigation of their coasts his design into effect. Mr. Nicholas, and people. They are situated between who happened to be disengaged from 34° 22′ and 47° 25' south latitude; and mercantile pursuits at that period, acbetween 166° and 180° east longitude; companied him, and the result of his taken together they form an area of remarks is contained in these volumes. about 62,160 square miles, or 39,782,- In the Active sailed also from Port 400 square acres. The soil is generally Jackson three New Zealand Chiefs, fertile, the verdure rich, the climate fa- Shungi, Korra-korra, and Duaterra, the vourable, and the population active, ro- latter of whom had been for several years bust, and intelligent. What of their a common sailor in the English merchant peculiar customs, productions, and con- service, undergoing cruel treatment from R ATHENEUM. Vol. 2.. several masters of vessels, and much

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Nicholas's recent Voyage to New Zealand.

[VOL. 2. hardship in an attempt to see King come more speedily to their communiGeorge, for which purpose he left New cations with the tribe of Wangeroa, the Zealand in a whaler, and was brought, murderers of their precursors. Anxious alas! only into the River Thames, de- to learn the particulars of this horrid ca. ceived, and abandoned. tastrophe, Mr. Marsden, Mr. Nicholas, On the 17th of December, the Active Mr. Kendall a schoolmaster, Mr. Hall a arrived off the North Cape of New Zea- carpenter, (two of the intended settlers) land, after a tedious voyage, and imme- and the chiefs Shungi and Duaterra went diately commenced an intercourse with on shore, and proceeded cautiously, with the natives, though this part of the coast the latter as an advanced guard, to the was not their ultimate destination. Their encampment of these barbarians; pasreception by the inhabitants of the North sing on their way through a large village, Cape district was friendly; the chiefs in the inhabitants of which gazed very the Active nosed the chiefs who came earnestly at them, but neither spoke to, from the shore, such being the term giv- nor interrupted them. en by our sailors to the New Zealander's mode of salutation, which consists in touching noses for a length of time proportionate to the respect or regard of the parties, instead of lips, as in European countries. The appearance of the natives here, is thus described, p. 96.

The moment they were perceived by the Wangeroans, one of their women made a signal" by holding up a red mat and waving it in the air, while she repeatedly cried out at the same time, in a loud and shrill voice, heromai, haromai, haromai, (come hither) the customary sa"In the course of the day we had not lutation of friendship and hospitality." less, I should suppose, than a dozen ca- Encouraged by this cheering invita noes along-side the vessel, all filled with tion, which is invariably held sacred, men of a remarkable fine appearance. they advanced, Duaterra and Shungi Though I had often seen New Zealan- adding to the bond of union by touching ders, before I approached their coast, I noses in the most amicable way with never thought it likely they could be so George and Tippouie, the opposite fine a race of people as I now found chiefs, who stood up while their warriors them. In their persons they generally were seated round them with their spears rose above the middle stature, some were stuck in the ground, and paying great even six feet and upwards, and all their deference to their leaders. During the limbs were remarkable for perfect sym- whole ceremony of introduction, the old metry and great muscular strength. woman never ceased waving the red mat, Their countenances, with few exceptions, and repeating, what Duaterra informed were pleasing and intelligent, and had the Europeans were, prayers exclusively none of those indications of ferocity, designed for the occasion. The chiefs which the imagination naturally attri- on both sides now fired off their loaded butes to cannibals. They displayed, on pistols as a proof of entire confidence, the contrary, strong tokens of good na- and the continued narrative of this reture and tender feelings; and I thought markable interview is so interesting; I could trace in many of them, some of that we copy it in the words of our the finest evidences of human sympathy." author. From North Cape, the Active coasted "Duaterra and Shunghi, standing up along to Doubtless Bay, where our coun- with an air of unreserved confidence, trymen were dissuaded from landing, fired off their loaded pistols, while their lest they might be delayed by calms. rival chiefs, George, and Tippouie, doThey therefore continued their course to ing the same, I thought proper to follow the harbour of Wangeroa, of bloody their examples, and immediately discelebrity, from the recent massacre of charged my fowling-piece. This conthe crew of the Boyd, an English vessel, elusive signal of amity was regarded by of which an account is soon after given. the warriors, who had hitherto remained We pass over the first landing of the silent spectators, as the prelude to their voyagers on a little island of the Caval- commencing themselves, and instantly a les, and other less attractive affairs, to report from six or seven muskets was

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Nicholas's recent Voyage to New Zealand.

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made from the flax, and some dyed with red-ochre, so that the appearance they presented was gay and characteristic. Each individual wore two of them, and some even more; the inside one being always tied round the waist with a belt, similar to that I have already described

heard to reverberate in our ears; and art as to bespeak no less the industry spears and fire-arms coming together in than the exquisite taste of the ingenious deafening collision, the noise very soon maker. The mats of others among them became insupportable. It would be were even still more beautiful, for they hard to say which was more tormented were of a velvet softness and glossy lusduring this conciliatory exhibition, the tre, while ornamented with devices ear or the eye; for the war dance now which were equally taseful with those I commencing, was attended with such have described. These mats were all frightful gesticulations, and such horrible varieties of convulsive distortions, that to see was no less painful than to hear: yells, shrieks, and roars, answered in responsive discord to all the clashing fury of their weapons; and the din made by this horde of savages, might inspire even the most resolute mind with terror in another part of this work. In this and dismay. belt was stuck their pattoo-pattoo, which "The chiefs were now in perfect har- is their principal war instrument, and mony with each other, and the furious carried by them at all times, no less for clamour having ceased, I had an oppor- the purposes of defence and attack, than tunity of meditating on the scene before as a necessary ornamental appendage. me, while Mr. Marsden stood in conver- Indeed there can be nothing extraordisation with George. It was certainly a nary in this, for the same is done in grand and interesting spectacle. The every country, polished or unpolished; savage warriors, amounting to about a the only difference being as to the weaphundred and fifty of as fine men as ever ons borne by the various nations; and took the field in any country, were en- the warrior of Wangeroa is quite as camped on a hill which rose in a coni- proud of his rude pattoo-pattoo, as the cal shape to a considerable height; and vainest military officer can possibly be the many imposing singularities they of his dangling sabre.

presented were such as to excite a partic- "With the exception of the chiefs, ular interest in the mind of the beholder. there were very few of them tattooed; Few of these men were under six feet and all had their hair neatly combed and in height, and their brawny limbs, their collected in a knot upon the top of the determined countenances, and their firm head, where it was ornamented with the and martial pace, entitled them very long white feathers of the gannet. Majustly to the appropriate designation of ny of them had decorations which never warriors. failed to remind one of their martial feThe general effect of their appearance rocity. These were the teeth of the was heightened by the variety of their enemies they had slain in battle, which dresses, which often consisted of many hung down from the ears of several of articles that were peculiarly becoming. them, and were worn as recording troThe Chiefs, to distinguish them from the phies of their bloody conquests. But common men, wore cloaks of different ornaments less obnoxious than these to coloured furs, which were attached to the civilized beholder were frequently their mats, and hung down over them in seen among them; and I observed some a manner not unlike the loose jackets of of green jade that were extremely curious. our Hussars. The dress of the com- However, I could not suppress my emomon warriors only wanted the fur cloaks tions on seeing the dollars that were to make it equally rich with that of their taken from the plunderers of the unforsuperiors, for it was in every other re- tunate Boyd, suspended from the breasts spect the same, and sometimes even more of some of thein, and all the horror of showy. Many of them wore mats, that cruel transaction was revived in my which were fancifully worked round mind. But the ornaments on which with variegated borders, and decorated they set the most value were rude reprein other respects with so much curious sentations of the human form, made of

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Nicholas's recent Voyage to New Zealand.

[VOL. 2 green jade, and carved with some inge- plete piece of workmanship in this line, nuity. These hung down from their than one of these savages, whose whole breasts, in the same manner as the dol- technical apparatus consists of a shell or a sharp stone. Tippouie, who, I must "Their instruments of war were as now observe was the brother of George, diversified as their dresses and decora- had a weapon of this description, which tions, and the weapons of no two of he had beat out of some bar-iron, and them were exactly the same in shape and the polish it displayed was so very fine, dimensions. The greater part of them that I could not have thought it possible carried spears; but these were all of for it to have been effected by the simdifferent lengths, and otherwise made in ple process of a New Zealander, had I such a manner as to preclude the idea of not many other proofs of the astonishing uniformity, though there were some par- ingenuity of these people. Thus did ticulars in which a similarity among the the savage instruments of death present whole of them might be observed. I themselves to my view in every shape, remarked many of them with short spears, and the scene gave rise to many powerwhich served them for the same purpose ful sensations. that the musket is employed in other "The fated crew of the Boyd were countries, to attack their enemies at a still present in my mind; and the idea distance; and this they generally do to that I was at that very moment sursome effect, by darting these spears at rounded by the cannibals who had butchthem with a sure aim. The long spears, ered them and had seen the very weapwhich are headed at the end with whale- ons that had effected their slaughter, bone worked down to an extremely sharp caused a chilling horror to pervade my point, they use as lances, and with these they do great execution in close attack. Battle-axes also were carried by some individuals among them, as likewise an "But while my mind was thus agitatinstrument resembling a serjeant's hal- ed with the reflections produced by this bert, which had large bunches of the shocking massacre, I contemplated with parrot's feathers tied round the top of it surprise the faces of the perpetrators. by way of ornament. Others brandish- Never did I behold any, with the excep ed in their hands long clubs made of tion of one countenance, (George's) that whalebone, and all carried the pattoo- appeared to betray fewer indications of pattoo, an instrument of no fixed dimen- malignant vengeance. I observed, on sions, though generally about eleven or the contrary, an air of frankness and sintwelve inches long, and four broad. In cerity pictured in them all; and the shape, it bears some resemblance to the fierceness they displayed was not that of battledore, but is worked out to a sharp barbarous fury, impatient for destruction, edge, and one blow from it would in- but of determined courage, still ready to stantly sever the hardest skull. They engage, but always prepared to show employ them for the purpose of knock- mercy.' ing down their enemies when they come to close combat, and indeed no weapon can do this more effectually. Those I have seen were variously made of the whalebone, the green jade and a darkcoloured stone, susceptible of a high polish.

The ingenuity they evince in making these weapons is really surprising; and I am fully convinced that none of our best mechanics, with all the aid of suitable tools, could finish a more com

frame; while looking only at the deed itself, I never once considered that it might have been provoked.

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This long extract forbids us to go on to the next in our present Number, especially as it is also of considerable length, being the appalling history of the butchery of the Boyd's crew, as told by the savage perpetrators of that massacre. As our review of the voyage will, however, occupy several numbers, this sad story will appear in the ensuing publication.

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The Wanderer.

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Chapter II.

From the European Magazine.

THE WANDERER.

ments of affection and esteem: the pas

TO witness the separation of the body sions of school-boy's are stronger than and its immaterial essence, even those of men, they know less of the when the process is accompanied by all world, and have not arrived at the pethe forms attendant on dissolution, when riod of thinking most men knaves, and the quackeries of mourning and medicine knowing many to be so-when, looking through a long illness have marked the with coolness on the occurrences of life, gradual approach of death, and by dis- and profiting by their experience, (often tracting the reflexions have blunted the dearly bought) their attachments become feelings and relieved the intensity of grief rather subservient to their interests, than -even then 'tis a most painful spectacle; the results of their feelings. one which, striking at the root of our From the sombre reflections which self-conceit, convinces us of our insigni- had occupied his mind during the night, ficance, and proclaims aloud that man is Maurice rose as soon as the day appearbut "the child of dust, the brother of ed, and after visiting his friend's lifeless the worm." But this, painful as it is, corse, and giving directions about his cannot be compared with the acute feel- funeral, which he learned from the landings of grief experienced at beholding the lady Wharton had desired to be as plain sudden death of a beloved friend; the as possible, and not at all differing from unexpectedness of the occurrence stems, those of the villagers, he proceeded to his as it were, the usual feeling of unmixed home, where he found his friends as well sorrow, and produces in its stead a dull as he could wish, and received a most depression of soul, a sullen silent grief ardent welcome-the joy of the meeting too heavy for utterance, and which seems was somewhat checked by the melanchoas if to express it would increase its weight. ly account of the death of his unfortunate Maurice beheld his friend's death with friend.

the keenest emotion, his feelings over- A week from the day on which Wharpowered him, he sank on a chair near the ton had died, Maurice followed his bier lifeless body, and for some moments was to the grave. overcome by the violence of his emotions; he was soon, however, roused by the people in the room, and stifling his feelings, he gave some necessary orders, and retired to the bed prepared for him.

Left to himself, he thought with increased sorrow of the untimely fate of his deceased friend, and almost deprecated the chance which had brought him at such a moment to witness his death. His thoughts then took a retrospective glance to the period at which he had known him previously to his leaving England.

It was a most romantic spot in which he had desired to be buried, upon a small eminence in the vil lage church-yard; an immense yewtree overshadowed the grave, and the wind rustling through its thick branches made a sighing sound at every blast. Without any very great effort of the imagination, it might have seemed to be performing a requiem over the dead. In this spot, which commanded a view of the village-school and the surrounding country, Wharton had loved to sit for hours together and here, a short time before his death, he had requested to be interred.

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They had been together at a public school, where Wharton, who was by some years Maurice's senior, had won Maurice stood in a reverie, almost inhis eternal friendship by the numerous sensible to the objects around him, until kind offices which a bigger boy at a pub- the hollow sound of the heavy earth striklic school can render to his inferior in ing on the coffin roused him-it seemsize and age; he had fought his battles, ed to break as it were, the last link of done his lessons, and screened his faults; the chain which had connected the dethe result was, that there subsisted be- ceased to humanity. He listened detween the friends the warmest senti- voutly to the remainder of the burial ser

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