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Show 502 NEW ZEALAND. Dec. 1835. Zealand and the amount of commerce carried on there, the state 0 / government of the country is most remarkable. It is however incorrect to use the term government, where absolutely ~0 such thing exists. The la~d is ~ivide~, by well-determined boundaries, between vanous tnbes, mdependent of each other. The indivi~uals in each tribe co~sist of freemen, and slaves taken m war; and the land IS common to all the free born ; that is, each may occupy and till any part that is vacant. In a sale, therefore, of land; every such person must receive part payment. Amon.g the freemen, there will always be some one, who from nches, from talents, or from descent from some noted cha~acter, will take the lead ; and in this respect he may be considered as the chief. But if the united tribe should be asked, who was their chief, no one would be acknowledged. Without doubt, in many cases, individuals have obtained great influence ; but as far as I can understand the system, their power is not legitimate. Even the authority of a master over his slave, or a parent over his child, appears to be regulated by no kind of ordinary custom. Proper laws of course are quite unknown: certain lines of action are generally considered right, and others wrong : if such customs are infringed, the injured person and his tribe, if they have power, seek retribution; if not, they treasure up the recollection of the injury till the day of revenge arrives. If the state in which the Fuegians live should be fixed at zero in the scale of government, I am afraid New Zealand would rank but a few degrees higher; while Tahiti, even when first discovered, would have occupied a respectable position. DECEMBER 23D.-At a place called Waimate, about fifteen miles from the Bay of Islands, and midway between the eastern and western coasts, the missionaries have purchased some land for agricultural purposes. I had been introduced to the Rev. W. Williams, who, upon my expressing the wish, invited me to pay him a visit there. Mr. Bushby, the British Resident, offered to take me in his boat by a creek, where I should see a pretty waterfall, and by which means my Dec. 1835. NEW ZEALAND. .503 walk would be shortened. He likewise procured for me a 'd U k . . gui e. pon as mg a neighbouring chief to recommend am th h . . ~ an, e c 1ef himself offered to go ; but his ignorance of the value of money was so c?mpl~te, that at first he asked how many pounds I would give him; but, afterwards was well contented with two ~ollars. When I showed the chief a very small bundle, whwh I wanted carried, it became absolutely necessary to ~ak~ a slave for that purpose. These feelings of pride are begmnmg to wear away; but formerly a leading man woul~ sooner have died than undergone the indignity of car~ymg the smalle~t bu~den. My companion was a light active man, dressed m a dirty blanket, and with his face completely tattooed. He had formerly been a great warrior. He appea~ed t~ be on very cordial terms with Mr. Bushby; but at vanous bmes they had quarrelled violently. Mr. Bushby remarked that a little quiet irony would frequently silence an~ on~ of these natives in their most blustering moments. !his chief has come and harangued Mr. Bushby in a hectormg manner, saying, " A great chief, a great man, a friend of mine, has come to pay me a visit-you must give him something good to eat, some fine presents, &c." Mr. Bush by has allowed him to finish his discourse, and then has quietlv replied by some such answer as, " What else shall your ;lave do ~or you ?" The man would then instantly, with a very comwal expression, cease his braggadocio. Some time ago, Mr. Bushby suffered a far more serious attack. A chief and a party of men tried to break into his house in the middle of the night, and not finding this so easy, commenced a brisk firing with their muskets. Mr. B~shby was slightly wounded; but the party was at length dnven away. Shortly afterwards it was discovered who was the aggressor; and a general meeting of the chiefs was convened to consider the case. It was considered by the ~ ew Zealanders as very atrocious, inasmuch as it was a m~ht attack, and that Mrs. Bush by was lying ill in the house: th1s latter circumstance, much to their honour, being con- |