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VOL. 2.]

Nicholas's Voyage to New Zealand.

341

presumed to lay one finger on the sacred ished; Heckotoro, a most melancholy implement. Laughing at his supersti- god of tears and sorrows; and as many tion, I began to exclaim against its ab- more as would fill a Pantheon. The surdity; but, like Tui on a former oc- story of the last-mentioned deity is curicasion, he retorted by ridiculing our ous. Having lost his wife, he descends crackee cruckee, (preaching,) yet at the from Heaven in search of her, and after same time asking me to sermonize over many adventures finds her in New Zeahis wife, as if his object was to have her land. He immediately put her into a exorcised; and upon my refusing, he canoe, and tying a rope at both ends of began himself, but could not proceed it, they were drawn up at once to Heavfrom involuntary bursts of laughter. I en, where they were changed into the obtained from him, without any diffi- cluster of stars, Ranghee, still pointed culty, one of the stones he had not used, out by the natives as the identical pair. against the transfer of which there was no prohibition."

While on the subject of their faith and customs, we may briefly notice, that The power of their priests is chiefly they pay great respect to old age; never manifested in the taboo, for their religion eat food within their dwellings, which is rude, and their sphere of knowledge they hold to be profanation, though they extremely limited. It is remarkable, think it no harm to devour the most however, that in their astronomy the loathsome of vermin, which they call Belt of Orion is called the whacka, or cootoos; that during the time a man is canoe; the Pleiades they believe to be seven of their countrymen, fixed in that part of the Heavens after their death, and one eye of each visible as a star; and in two months, Duaterra said another cluster of stars would rise, some of which would represent the head, and others the stern, of a canoe; while close to them would appear another star, which they call the anchor, and which, setting at night and rising with the dawn of the morning, serves to regulate their hours of repose and labour.

building or repairing a hut, he is under the taboo, and never puts his hand to his mouth; that they always weep abundantly, as an expression of joy, when friends or relations, long separated, meet; that they are cannibals; that a sort of feudal system prevails, and the Arakees of one class receive a tribute or acknowledgement from the Chiefs of other tribes; that these chiefs are absolute, and their descendants may not intermarry with the Cookees, or vulgar order.

They have a singular method of preserving, as trophies, the heads of their enemies slain in battle, by taking out the brains, and drying the head, so as to keep the flesh entire. One of the Chiels, who was asked how this was done, very promptly offered to go and shoot some people, who had killed his son, and show the method with their sculls, if Mr. Marsden would lend him some powder; which the benevolent missionary declined.

Thus in all regions, however savage and uncultivated, there seems to be some reference to the great event of the deluge, and the preservation by the ark. But what is still more wonderful in regard to this people, is their belief" that the first woman was made of one of the man's ribs ;" and that their general name for bone is Hevee, a word so nearly resembling the Eve of the Christian world. They have also a tradition of a man and They are fond of singing and dancing, a tree being taken up to the moon, very averse to continued labour, and most similar to the children's legend among voracious eaters. But we must conclude ourselves. for the present, and the rather, as with In their religion they have a confused one observation more, we may wind up idea of a supreme being, whom they all we intend to state on the topics prinstyle Mowheerangazanga, but worship cipally concentrated in this week's rebesides a number of inferior gods; such view: the favourite game of the ladies as Teepockho, the god of anger and of is to throw a ball, called a poe, larger death; Towackhee, the god of the ele- than a cricket-ball, and stuffed with the ments; Mowheemooha, a god who down of bullrushes, from one to another, makes land under the sea, while Mow- and dextrously catch it by a string, heebotakee hauls up his work when fin- while flying in the air.

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The Wanderer.

[VOL. 2.

Y

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being small, left him much leisure, which

My father was an officer in a regi- he devoted to my education.—Would ment of dragoons, and was killed it were in my power to describe his exin an engagement some months before I cellencies! His spirit was cast in the was born; when the news of his death gentlest of nature's moulds; his temper arrived, the suddenness of the shock, was a model of Christian humility and pressing upon a delicate constitution, a forbearance; his reproofs were mixed good deal broken by anxiety and sorrow, with kindness, and he conveyed the most threw my mother into a premature la salutary truths under the most pleasing bour, the consequence of which was, forms, contrary to the method pursued that the same moment which disclosed by many, who have the office of opening to me the light of the world rendered the youthful mind to knowledge; his me an orphan.

At this time my mother was residing with her father, a clergyman of the Church of Scotland, to whose care I devolved; by him I was brought up, and to him am I indebted for the share of religious and moral knowledge which I

possess.

At the period when my narrative begins, I was living with him in the vil lage to which his pastoral duties had called him; it was situated on the eastern coast of Scotland.

Our family consisted of a girl, who did the household work and a man, who performed the duties of gardener and steward of our small establishment; he had been a soldier in my father's regiment, and was his servant; he had fought by his side in the engagement in which he fell, had caught him in his arms as he received the shot which had killed him ; and, after performing the last duties to his master, had borne the news of his death to his afflicted widow. His fidelity and affection had endeared him to my grandfather, who treated him more as a friend than as a servant; he had received, like most of the peasantry of Scotland, an education, which in England seldom falls to the share of persons in a much higher sphere of life.

A spirit of wandering (perhaps the effect of his education,) had led him into the army at an early age; he had been much attached to my father, and, on his death, he had obtained his discharge, and retired to spend the remainder of his life in the retirement of his native village. My grandfather's duties, his village

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instructions appeared the effects of his love, and he did not seek to give weight to them by making himself feared. His commands were rendered pleasing, by the conviction that they were necessary and just; indeed, what was with him necessary was synonymous with just.

He suffered no circumstance to escape him, which could be rendered useful to the progress of my education.-The situation in which we lived afforded a most rich and varied description of scenery. The broad sea, on one side, presented, during fair weather, a beautiful view; and, during a storm, the roughness of the coast rendered it more sublime than any other spectacle I ever beheld. On the land side, a large chain of mountains bounded us, and a rich valley, in which the village was situated, lay between.

Of all these various objects my grandfather made use, by imprinting on my memory the subjects in ancient and modern poets and historians to which they might be applied. Not a rock, a tree, a brook, a beautiful view, or a picturesque scene, to which he did not attach some allusion, which, associating itself with the object, impressed it more strongly on my mind. By these means my studies were rendered gratifying to me, and I should have been more punished by be ing debarred from my lessons, than most school-boys would have been pleased with having a holiday.

Often have I wished, when passing through a rocky defile in our neighbourhood, that I could there conjure up Leonidas and his trusty Spartans, as at Thermopyla, and mix in the glorious strife for liberty, that idol of warm-heart

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343

ed youth. As often, when looking from to Lord Trevayne and rely on his care
a tremendously overhanging cliff, have and protection.
thought on Leucadia's steep, and wept
"My child," he said,
Over the sorrows of the hapless Sappho. you in a state of dependence;
"the bitterest pang in dying, is to leave
"Tis true, this method had something of Heaven's will be done; and remember,
but
a romantic tendency, and imparted a per- that he whose actions are truly just, and
haps too great keenness to my feelings; whose heart is correct, can not be said to
but whether this was productive of good be dependant but on the goodness of
or evil, is a point which I shall leave to Providence, which will never
be mooted by those who think it worth him. God has given you talents, my
while to dispute upon.
desert
child, which, if properly directed, will

you do not check it, will render you easily assailable by the impositions of artful persons, many of whom you will meet with in your journey through life. I would not have you to understand me

your soul; but I would have you keep them so much under restraint, that they shall not weaken and destroy that fortitude which is the most ornamental and noble part of the character of man."

I lived with my grandfather until conduce to your own happiness, aud about my thirteenth year, when he was render you an ornament to your counseized with a sudden illness, which re- try; but I have also observed that, joined sisted all medical skill, and he died in a to the most lively sense of virtue, the easifew weeks after his first attack. Some ness of your disposition will, under hours previous to his dissolution, he some temptations, lead you to actions sent for me, and on my approaching his which you must repent, unless under bed, he told me that he felt he had but the constant curb of your reason; and few hours to live, and therefore would you possess also a sensibility which, if give some directions for my future conduct, which he charged me to observe. I promised most implicit obedience to them. He then told me that his daughter, my mother, had been educated with some of her relations, at a town in Flan to wish you to repress the feelings of ders, where my father had been stationed with his regiment; a mutual affection took place, and they were secretly married: his consent was not asked until refusal would have been of no effect. He told me that my father's family were of considerable rank; that my grand- earliest and best friend I ever possessed Very soon after this conversation, the father by the paternal side was Lord Tre- breathed his last in my arms, for I would vayne, a statesman of great influence, not be removed from him. To attempt whose pride had been so much hurt by to describe my grief at his loss would be his son's misconduct, as he termed it, in in vain; it was violent, like all youthful marrying one of a rank so much below passions, and I then thought I should him, that he would never see him. My never recover it; but a few days modefather's regiment, he said, was shortly rated my sorrow, and I thought of it after ordered to America, and my with resignation. Then I felt the force mother's state of health, not permitting of the religious instruction which my her to accompany him, she had returned grandfather had bestowed on me, and in to my grandfather, where, after my the hour of sorrow I turned for consofather's death, she died in giving birth to lation to Him who alone can impart it. me. He said, that with him would cease all that he possessed, and that he pared for my journey to London, in After my grandfather's burial, I prewas therefore under the necessity of consequence of his directions. Andrew, bequeathing me to the care of Lord our servant, whom I have before menTrevayne, to whom, immediately after tioned, accompanied me. his illness, he had written, informing him was marked by no occurrence worth reOur route of my situation; and, he added, that his lating, and I arrived at the splendid Lordship had requested me to be sent to mansion of the Earl of Trevayne, and ́ him. He said it was his wish that I was introduced to the possessor of it. should, immediately on his death, (which he felt was not far distant,) go to London

To be continued.

344

Lord Amherst's late Interview with Buonaparte.

[VOL 2

BUONAPARTE AND ST. HELENA.

From the Panorama, November 1817.

So many vague reports of the present condition of this state prisoner are in circulation, and actual interviews with him of so rare occurrence, that any thing in the shape of an authentic narrative of such a cir

cumstance, is always acceptable. The following particulars are taken from "Mr. Ellis's account of Lord Amherst's Embassy to China", which, while they display some interesting traits in the character of the Ex-Emperor, serve to throw considerable light on the

enuse, as well as the groundless nature of the complaints which he some time since made on the score of bad treatment, want of provisions, wine, &c.

ST

July 1. T. Helena presents from without, a mass of continued barrenness, and its only utility seems to consist in being a mark to guide ships over the waste of waters. This feeling is certainly removed on landing, and situations may be found, particularly Plantation House, the residence of the Governor, possessing much picturesque beauty; but on the whole, the strongest impression on my mind was that of surprise, that so much human industry should have been expended under such adverse circumstances, and upon such unpromising and unyielding materials.

We had heard so much at the Cape of the vicissitudes of temper to which Buonaparte was subject, that we were by no means confident of being admitted to his presence; fortunately for us, the ExEmperor was in good humour, and the interview took place on this day.

Lord Amherst was first introduced to Buonaparte by General Bertrand, and remained alone with him for more than an hour. I was next called in, and presented by Lord Amherst. Buonaparte having continued in discourse about half an hour, Captain Maxwell and the gentlemen of the Embassy were afterwards introduced and presented. He put questions to each, having some relation to their respective situations; and we all united in remarking that his manners were simple and affable, without want ing dignity. I was most struck with the unsubdued ease of his behaviour and appearance; he could not have been freer from embarrassment and depression in the zenith of his power at the Tuilleries.

Buonaparte rather declaimed than conversed, and during the half hour Lord Amherst and I were with him, seemed only anxious to impress his sentiments upon the recollection of his auditors, possibly for the purpose of having them repeated. His style is highly epigrammatic, and he delivered his opinion with the oracular confidence of a man accustomed to produce conviction: his mode of discussing great political questions would in another appear charlatanerie, but in him is only the developement of the empirical system which he universally adopted. Notwithstanding the attention which he might be supposed to have given to the nature of our Government, he has certainly a very imperfect knowledge of the subject; all his observations on the policy of England, as relating to the past, or looking to the future, were adapted to a despotism; and he is either unable or unwilling to take into consideration the difference produced by the will of the monarch being subordinate, not only to the interests, but to the opinion of his people.

He used metaphors and illustrations with great freedom, borrowing the latter chiefly from medicine; his elocution was rapid, but clear and forcible, and both his manner and language surpassed my expectations. The character of his countenance is rather intellectual than commanding, and the chief peculiarity is in the mouth, the upper lip apparently changing in expression with the variety and succession of his ideas. In person Buonaparte is so far from being extremely corpulent, as has been represented, that I believe he was never more capable of undergoing the fatigues of a campaign than at present. I should describe him as short and muscular, not more inclined to corpulency than men often are at his age.

Buonaparte's complaints respecting his situation at St. Helena would not, I think have excited much attention if they had not become a subject of discussion in the House of Lords; for as he denied our right to consider him a prisoner of war,

VOL. 2.]

Lord Amherst's Interview with Buonaparte.

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in opposition to the most obvious princi- be accompanied by a British officer; for ples of reason and law, it was not to be all justifiable purposes this permission is expected that any treatment he might sufficient; nor is it intended to be nullireceive consequent to his being so con- fied in practice by undue interference on sidered, would be acceptable. other hand, admitting him to be a pris- purposes of health or amusement he has On the the part of the officer in attendance. For oner, it is difficult to imagine upon what a range of four miles, unaccompanied, grounds he can complain of the limited and without being overlooked; another restraint under which he is placed at St. of eight miles, where he is partially in Helena. His complaints respecting a scanty circuit of twelve miles, throughout which view of the sentries; and a still wider supply of provisions and wines (for I he is under their observation. In both consider Montholon as the organ of these latter spaces he is also free from Buonaparte) are too absurd to deserve the attendance of an officer. At night consideration, and it is impossible not to indeed, the sentries close round the regret, that anger, real or pretended, house. should have induced so great a man to greater personal liberty, consistent with I can scarcely imagine that countenance such petty misrepresenta- any pretension to security, could be tions. I must confess that the positive granted to an individual, supposed under statements which had been made respect- any restraint at all. ing the badness of the accommodations at Longwood had produced a partial under immediate surveillance, no person His intercourse with others is certainly belief in my mind; even this, however, being allowed to enter the inclosure at was removed by actual observation. Longwood without a pass from the GovLongwood House, considered as a resi- ernor; dence for a Sovereign, is certainly small, granted, and neither the curiosity of but these passes are readily and perhaps inadequate; but viewed as individuals, nor the personal gratification. the habitation of a person of rank, dis- which Buonaparte may be expected to posed to live without show, is both con- derive from their visits, are checked by venient and respectable. Better situa- pretended difficulties or arbitrary regulations may be found in the island, and tions. His correspondence is also under Plantation House is in every respect a restraint, and he is not allowed to send superior residence: but that is intended or receive letters but through the medium for the reception of numerous guests, and of the Governor. for the degree of exterior splendour belonging to the office of Governor.

doubt disagreeable, and may be distressThis regulation is no being what he now is, and what he ing; but it is a necessary consequence of has been.

The two remaining circumstances of Buonaparte's situation deserving attention, are the restraints which his personal liberty, and those which re- ed for-Buonaparte's unreasonable comaffect may Two motives may, I think, be assignlate to his intercourse with others. With plaints; the first, and principal is to keep respect to the first, Buonaparte assumes alive public interests in Europe, but as a principle that his escape while chiefly in England, where he flatters watched by the forts and men of war, is himself that he has a party; and the impossible; and that, therefore, his second, I think, may be traced to the Jiberty within the precincts of the island personal character and habits of Buonaought to be unfettered. The truth of parte, who finds an occupation in the the principle is obviously questionable, petty intrigues by which these complaints and the consequence is overthrown by are brought forward, and an unworthy the fact of his being a prisoner, whose gratification in the tracasseries and detention is of importance sufficient to annoyance which they produce on the justify the most rigorous precautions; spot.

his own conclusion is nevertheless ad

mitted to the extent of allowing him to alone, and a conviction of their inutility, If this conjecture be founded, time go to any part of the island, provided he will induce Buonaparte to desist from his

2W ATHENEUM. Vol. 2.

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