CHAP. II.] THE NATIVES. 15 



vigorous and less durable, dies off. This has been 

 the result of the contact of the Caucasian race, es- 

 pecially the Anglo-Saxon nations, with the red race 

 of America and with the isolated inhabitants of the 

 South Sea Islands, which latter, in all other respects, 

 appear to be our equals in physical durability and 

 mental capacities. The Anglo-Saxon race have been 

 so energetic in their colonial enterprises, but, at the 

 same time, so reckless and unsociable as regards the 

 aborigines, that it might at once be taken for granted 

 that the simple-minded islanders, who do not know, 

 either as individuals or as tribes, the powerful ef- 

 fect of the term "forward" would stand a bad 

 chance with such competitors, and that this alone 

 would damp their enterprise and industry, render 

 them careless of life, and shorten their existence. At 

 the first view this would appear probable ; and I think 

 I shall be able to show that to a considerable degree 

 it is actually the case ; but as, in New Zealand, the 

 natives do not derive their support from the chase, 

 which in the case of the inhabitants of America and 

 New South Wales has been the great cause of their 

 destruction, we must, I think, look deeper for the 

 causes of such an evil in order to find the means of 

 counteracting it to the best of our power ; and 

 thus, if it be the design of Providence that the 

 race should disappear, to be able to alleviate that 

 change in the inhabitants of countries of which 

 we have taken possession, and at least to have the 

 satisfaction of knowing that we have done every- 



