1835.] SAIL FOR AUSTRALIA. 413 



to whom he should belong, each stood over him with a stone 

 hatchet, and seemed determined that the other at least should not 

 take him away alive. The poor man, almost dead with fright, was 

 only saved by the address of a chief's Avife. We afterwards enjoyed 

 a pleasant walk back to the boat, but did not reach the ship till 

 late in the evening. 



December 30th. In the afternoon we stood out of the Bay of 

 Islands, on our course to Sydney. I believe we were all glad to 

 leave New Zealand. It is not a pleasant place. Amongst the 

 natives there is absent that charming simplicity which is found 

 at Tahiti; and the greater part of the English are the very refuse 

 of society. Neither is the country itself attractive. I look back 

 but to one bright spot, and that is Waimate, with its Christian 

 inhabitants. 



