CHAP. IX.] FOR THE NATIVES? 145 



emancipated convict from Sydney bought from the 

 natives a piece of land in one of the northern 

 harbours of the island some ten years ago, and 

 settled there. The natives continued to cultivate 

 the best part of the land, which was not of very 

 great extent ; but the man sold the land to another 

 European, with whom I visited the district when 

 he went to take possession of his property. The 

 natives acknowledged that the land had been fairly 

 purchased, and declared their willingness to give up 

 what they had not cultivated, but said that they had 

 no other place to go to, and therefore begged to re- 

 tain their cultivated ground. Now the commis- 

 sioners, who will arrange this matter without visit- 

 ing the spot, will probably decide the case in favour 

 of the European. The latter told me that he would 

 wait for this decision, and then turn the natives off ! 

 The New Zealand Company has cut the Gordian 

 knot of native territorial rights by reserving to them 

 a tenth, and afterwards an eleventh, part of all 

 country and town sections which were sold. This 

 plan, as regards the town allotments, was certainly 

 very judicious and expedient, as the best means to 

 procure a sufficient fund to be applied to the ex- 

 penses of protecting and civilizing the natives. It 

 was, however, an error to believe that they would 

 at once occupy their town allotments, and would 

 live in one community with the Europeans. It 

 may be that single individuals will do so, but it 

 will never be the case with the majority. What 



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