86 ' Transactions. 



since the 25th of March, and it was on the 8th of this month at 1 o'clock in tiie morning. 

 On the 9th I recognized the Cape Maria van Diemen. I left the North Cape the same 

 day at night, and on the 10th, in the morning, I was at the entrance of the Bay of 

 Islands, which I could only reach in the night on account of the calm and the strong 

 land breezes which did not permit me to go ahead. I met the vessel H.B.M. " Britomart." 

 The Captain came to see me as soon as I had cast anchor. We exchanged the usual 

 salutes of politeness and remained very good friends. I immediately visited the 

 Bishop. . . 



On my arrival I heard of the taking possession, in the name of the Queen of 

 the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, of the three islands composing the 

 group known under the name of New Zealand. The British flag flies two miles from the 

 anchorage of Kororareka, on the River Karra-karra, on the site of Fort Russell-To\vn, 

 the name of the town to be built there. A Lieutenant-Governor, Mr. Hobson, is esta- 

 bhshed there with a large administrative staff and a garrison of 130 men, commanded 

 by a'' field officer of the land forces, who has three other officers under his command. 

 Three warships seem to be attached to the British colony. The corvette "' Herald," 

 which belongs to them, recently made a voyage round all the islands where English- 

 men are established, visiting the principal places. . . . Akaroa is at present also 

 occupied by an Englishman, whose cattle graze there. The corvette " Herald " went 

 there, and I heard that about two months ago, there, as well as everywhere where she 

 found no Europeans, the declaration of British sovereignty had been written on a 

 pajjer, enclosed in a bottle, and hidden in the earth. . . . 



The property of Banks Peninsula has been constituted by a Mr. Clayton, who 

 lives in the Bay of Islands and who has heard from tl;e whalers long ago that 

 Mr. Langlois had acquired it ; but as I thought, in such a state of afi^airs, I ought at 

 present to conceal the mission I was charged with, this statement flid not come to 

 me in an official way. 



The position has greatly changed since my departure from France ; British 

 jealousy has made great steps forward and is running fast. J shall avoid to compro- 

 mise the Government of the King ; I will act with great caution ; but, on the other 

 hand, so far away from Your Excellency, and ignoring what has happened between the 

 two Governments, after France has been notified that the full sovereign power lies in 

 the hands of " Her Majestj^ Queen Victoria, her heir's and successors," as stated in the 

 Proclamation dated the 21st of May — I repeat, so far away, I cannot deviate from 

 the orders I carry, and, having above all to preserve the honour of my flag, I shall 

 declare officiallj^ to the representative of Her Britannic Majesty on the island. Captain 

 Hobson, that for the present I protest against any measure, coming from the British 

 GJovernment, which might result in infringing the French property duly acquired from 

 the free and independent natives, till the moment in which the Government of the 

 King will be pleased to recognize British sovereignty over these islands. 



I fear that the " Comte de Paris," which, according to what Jier captain wrote to 

 me before I left France, has put into port at Senegal, at the Cape, at Hobart Town, 

 and at the Bay of Islands, before returning to Akaroa, mil keep us \faiting for some 

 time, which will be very regrettable. There ought to be more than one warship here, 

 for I sliall not be able to leave Akaroa when I get there, and yet I Avill entirely ignore 

 there what is happening around me. We must not conceal from ourselves that everj^- 

 body here will try and hinder us, and I will be all the more luiprepared to avoid the 

 pitfalls of our neighbours because I will have no information from the outside. 

 I hope that the official news recer\'ed in France the last few months will appear to 

 Your Excellency to be of such a nature that fresh instructions will be sent me, and 

 that perhaps also the sea forces will be increased. . 



I add my letter to Captain Hobson . . . who, as Your Excellency will see, 

 refused to enter into explanations with me if I did not previously recognize his title 

 as Governor of the Islands of New Zealand. ... I tried to make him under- 

 stand that I could not see why he should keep silent about the object of my letter 

 [concerning properties acquired by the French in various parts of the Islands], having 

 only as a reason that I did not recognize him as Governor of the Islands of New 

 Zealand. I also pointed out to him that large French properties existed in the Islands, 

 especially in the ]\Iiddle Island, which we call in France the South Island, and that I 

 could not admit the rights of sovereignty of a foreign Government over this property ; 

 but he very well explained to me that there Avas a distinction to be made here — that 

 he did not contest the property of the French on the Islands ; that the chiefs when 

 selling had only sold the land, but not their authority, which they abdicated in favour 

 of Britain ; that only after this abdication the British sovereignty had been declared. 

 Then I handed him a letter telling him that the contents would make him understand 

 my last word. He read it with great attention, and told me that in my place he would 



