Origin of the recent Wars. 133 



the ground that Te Teira had in fact no right to dispose of 

 tliis land without his consent, and obstructed the surveyors 

 sent by Government to measure the piece of ground. On 

 their being re-inforced somewhat later, Kingi took up arms 

 to resist them, and intrenched himself on the property in dis- 

 pute. How little the Colonial Government intended to 

 encroach upon the Maori privileges, is best shown by the 

 circumstance that the Ngatiawa tribe, and their allies of the 

 Taranaki, are but 3000 in number, men, women, and children 

 all told, who claim as their property districts covering an 

 area of 2,000,000 acres, and during the last twenty years 

 have only cultivated some small patches along the coast. The 

 white settlers also number about 3000, and with the consent of 

 Government have, during that period, purchased 40,000 acres, 

 of which hardly one-fourth part is devoted to agricultural pur- 

 poses. On 17th March, 1860, Kingi was at last attacked by 

 the English troops under Colonel Gold. This was the com- 

 mencement of a series of sanguinary combats, carried on with 

 the most desperate obstinacy,* and the more serious, as it 

 stands out in singularly bold relief, that the majority of the 

 missionaries. Bishop Selwyn and Archdeacon Hadfield at 

 their head, take part with the Maories, and that the learned 

 justice. Dr. Martin, endeavours to prove that the war has 

 broken out entirely in consequence of a breach of the rights of 



* A Maori, who maintained his neutrahty, though he evidently views the victories 

 of his countrymen with pai'tial eyes, wrote us only a few months ago, " that in the 

 combats which marked the first outbreak of hostilities, the Enghsh lost 2000 and the 

 Maories onlv 1000!" 



