6 NATIVES OF [PART i. 



of that division of the human family to which the 

 inhabitants of New Zealand belong. It is true 

 they have no written language in which their past 

 history is preserved, and their religious notions and 

 traditions are exceedingly confused and undefined ; 

 their mode of life is extremely simple ; their arts, 

 although interesting, yet rude. Their traditions, 

 however, contain many things which would be im- 

 portant to the historian of the human species if he 

 could discover their true meaning ; but his chance 

 of doing so is every day decreasing, and many ma- 

 terials calculated to elucidate the past history of 

 the nations of the great ocean have already been 

 lost. Their intercourse with Europeans is so ge- 

 neral, they make such rapid strides towards civil- 

 ization and Christianity, and so many dangers 

 threaten to annihilate them, that every traveller 

 should consider it a paramount duty to become 

 acquainted with everything regarding these island- 

 ers, as the means of awakening an interest in the 

 minds of the powerful and civilized, and of inducing 

 them to afford effectual aid, protection, and instruc- 

 tion to the weak and uncivilized. 



Regarding the natives of New Zealand the public 

 has lately evinced so much interest as to induce me 

 to believe that the following details, which I col- 

 lected amongst the people themselves, will be accept- 

 able. My object will be fully attained if these 

 details tend to produce still more amicable inter- 

 course with the native race, as well as speedy mea- 



