448 NEW ZEALAND 



every other respect his character is of a much lower order. 

 One glance at their respective expressions brings conviction to 

 the mind that one is a savage, the other a civilised man. It 

 would be vain to seek in the whole of New Zealand a person 

 with the face and mien of the old Tahitian chief Utamme. No 

 doubt the extraordinary manner in which tattooing is here 

 practised gives a disagreeable expression to their countenances. 

 The complicated but symmetrical figures covering the whole 

 face puzzle and mislead an unaccustomed eye : it is moreover 

 probable that the deep incisions, by destroying the play of the 

 superficial muscles, give an air of rigid inflexibility. But, 

 besides this, there is a twinkling in the eye which cannot 

 indicate anything but cunning and ferocity. Their figures are 

 tall and bulky ; but not comparable in elegance with those of 

 the working-classes in Tahiti. 



Both their persons and houses are filthily dirty and 

 offensive : the idea of washing either their bodies or their 

 clothes never seems to enter their heads. I saw a chief, who 

 was wearing a shirt black and matted with filth, and when 

 asked how it came to be so dirty, he replied, with surprise, 

 " Do not you see it is an old one ? " Some of the men have 

 shirts ; but the common dress is one or two large blankets, 

 generally black with dirt, which are thrown over their shoulders 

 in a very inconvenient and awkward fashion. A few of the 

 principal chiefs have decent suits of English clothes ; but these 

 are only worn on great occasions. 



December 2'^rd. — 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 a 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 walk 

 would be shortened. He likewise procured for me a guide. 

 Upon asking a neighbouring chief to recommend a man, the 

 chief himself offered to go ; but his ignorance of the value of 

 money was so complete, that at first he asked how many 

 pounds I would give him, but afterwards was well contented 



