98 Voyage of the Novara. 



her miglity struggles to open trade and raise humanity, tlie 

 Now Zealanders have hitherto proved themselves to be the 

 most susceptible of Em'opean civilization. More than five- 

 sixths of their number are already Christians, and have been 

 baptized, and, settled down in comfortable residences, maintain 

 themselves by agriculture or sailoring. More than one hun- 

 dred vessels built in the colony are owned by natives, wlio 

 not alone have in their hands a considerable i^ortion of the 

 coasting trade, but carry on business with the adjoining 

 islands, as also with New Soutli Wales. While Bushmen, 

 Hottentots, Caffres, Australian negroes, all, like the Indian 

 tribes of Canada and the United States, present the helpless 

 type of misery and decay, all the indications here seem to 

 promise that the splendid spectacle will be j^resented of one 

 of the most savage, yet highly gifted, races of the globe being 

 raised in the scale of humanity by education and culture, 

 and brought permanently within the scale of civilization. 

 Whoever has followed with critical eye the immense increase 

 of this colony during the last twenty years, must indulge this 

 cheering anticipation not less confidently than the traveller 

 who has traversed the entire island totally unmolested, has 

 been cordially welcomed in every hut, has encountered every- 

 where schools and Christian missions, and has seen the natives 

 occupied solely with the avocations of peace. Those native, 

 chiefs, who from contact with civilization had already adopted 

 the outward deportment and mode of life of the European 

 settlers, omitted no opportunity of confessing in language of 



