CHAP. I.] NEW ZEALAND. 11 



ence of castes so extensively spread amongst the 

 inhabitants of the islands of .the great ocean. 

 If one part of the population of New Zealand 

 were a distinct race,- a fact which cannot be 

 denied as regards other islands, it is very curious 

 that there should be no traces of such a blending 

 in the language, where they would have been most 

 durable, or in the traditions, which certainly would 

 have mentioned the conquest of one race by the 

 other, if it had really happened. Captain Crozet, a 

 Frenchman, who early visited New Zealand, says 

 that he found a tribe at the North Cape darker 

 than the rest. I could observe nothing of the kind 

 there, although I visited all the natives. Nor are 

 these darker-coloured individuals more common in 

 the interior ; I should say, even less so. There is 

 undoubtedly a .greater variety of colour and counte- 

 nance amongst the natives of New Zealand than one 

 would expect, a circumstance which might prove 

 either an early blending of different races, or a dif- 

 ference of social conditions, which latter supposition 

 would go far to explain the fact. All the New 

 Zealanders speak of the Mango-Mango (blacks) of 

 New South Wales as unconnected with and inferior 

 to themselves, but they never make such a distinc- 

 tion regarding their own tribes. 



The females are not in general so handsome as 

 the men. Although treated by the latter with great 

 consideration and kindness, enjoying the full eer- 

 cise of their free will, and possessing a remarkable 



