CHAP. II.] THE NATIVES. 19 



wholesome food, which disturbs the whole process 

 of assimilation. Pigs were also introduced by the 

 Europeans ; but the natives do not consume many 

 of these animals, at least not in those places where 

 they can sell them for blankets, muskets, powder, 

 or lead. Their wars decreased, partly from exhaus- 

 tion after particularly troubled times, partly from 

 the establishment of the missions. Instead of 

 being constantly in bodily exercise, they became 

 readers, an occupation very much suited to their 

 natural indolence. Their numerous dances, songs, 

 and games were regarded as vices, and were not 

 exchanged for others, but were given up altogether. 

 The missionaries, while abolishing the national 

 dances and games, might with safety have intro- 

 duced those of England, which would soon have 

 become great favourites with them. 1 



In one word, instead of an active, warlike race, 

 they have become eaters of potatoes, neglecting 

 their industrious pursuits in consequence of the 

 facility of procuring food and blankets, and they 



1 I only met with one case in which the missionaries acted 

 otherwise, from a wish to contribute to the bodily welfare of their 

 flock ; this was at Kaitaia, a mission-station to the northward of 

 Hokianga, where they had introduced cricket, and other innocent 

 games, which were in great favour with the natives : Kaitaia was, 

 moreover, the only place where the missionaries seemed at all to have 

 thought about the causes of the prevailing diseases, and the means 

 of counteracting them ; they called the attention of the natives to 

 their state of health, and to the fact of the decrease of their num- 

 bers, and induced them to adopt a mode of living more nearly ap- 

 proaching ours. 



c 2 



