FIJI-NEW ZEALAND EXPEDITION 251 
ran wild and increased rapidly in numbers, thus providing a 
valuable meat supply. He also introduced the potato, turnip, 
cabbage and other useful vegetables and fruits. In 1779 Captain 
Cook revisited New Zealand, when some of his men got into trouble 
with the Maoris and killed a number of them, but friendly rela- 
tions seemed afterwards to have been established. He doubtless 
could have conquered the whole country by allying himself with 
some of the more powerful chiefs, but refrained on humanitarian 
grounds. 
There followed a period in which the French attempted to ob- 
tain control of this great prize of the South Seas. One of the 
first of these was Captain Marion du Fresne who, with a number 
of his men, was treacherously murdered by the Maoris, for which 
his Lieutenant Crozet inflicted a terrible reprisal, killing a large 
number of the natives. This misadventure resulted in the French 
giving up their designs against New Zealand for a time at least. 
Ever since the visit of Captain Cook, British whalers had 
occasionally visited the country. Early in the nineteenth century 
trade was established between them and the natives, and this re- 
sulted in scattered settlements, often founded by the rough and 
ready sailors of the time. Quarrels, massacres and reprisals 
marked the history of the early adventurers. 
Later came Samuel Marsdan, a missionary, followed by a num- 
ber of others who, in spite of enormous difficulties, did much to 
pave the way for a better understanding between the white set- 
tlers and the Maoris. By the Peace of 1814 the British obtained 
recognition of rights of sovereignty in New Zealand. 
At one time a ghastly trade in human heads preserved by a 
sort of smoking process by which they were permanently mummi- 
fied, was quite flourishing and doubtless was responsible for 
numerous murders among the Maoris. 
The main cause for much of the trouble between the whites and 
the natives was a mutual misunderstanding regarding the transfer 
of land. The Maoris, is seems, regarded it as almost unthinkable 
that they should actually sell their land, and when the whites 
claimed a purchase the Maoris declared that they had only leased 
the land to the settlers. It was a long time before these differ- 
ences were finally adjusted. At one time a tract of forty thousand 
acres was said to have been purchased from the natives for thirty- 
Six axes!§ 
3 See “New Zealand’’ by Reginald Horsley, p. 123. 
