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THE DISCOVERY OF AUSTRALIA 



colony. " It was the opinion of everyone on board," 

 writes Cook, " that all sorts of European grain, fruit, 

 plants, etc., would thrive here ; in short, was this country 

 settled by an industrious people, they would very soon 

 be supplied not only with necessaries, but many of the 

 luxuries of life. . . . Should it ever become an object of 

 settling this country, the best place for the first fixing 

 of a colony would be either in the River Thames or the 

 Bay of Islands." Both these places have good harbours. 

 In the River Thames ships might be built and settlements 

 might easily extend inland. Banks also votes for the 

 River Thames, as "in every respect the most proper place 

 we have yet seen for establishing a colony." Both jour- 

 nalists believe that a colony might subsist in spite of the 

 warlike character of the natives. " So far," writes Cook, 

 " as I have been able to judge of the genius of these people, 

 it does not appear to me at all difficult for strangers to 

 form a settlement in this country ; they seem to be too 

 much divided amongst themselves to unite in opposition ; by 

 which means, and kind and gentle usage, the colonists would 

 be able to form strong parties among them." And he 

 writes an admirable account of the noble barbarian, 

 stout, clean-limbed, active, cruel, ferocious, given to 

 unpleasing customs like cannibalism, yet living by a 

 standard of moral excellence, capable of patriotic discipline, 

 possessing high intelligence and artistic skill, and showing 

 characteristics that promised capacity for living peace- 

 ably with a civilized race, and gradually accepting its 

 civilization. 



Reading these accounts of New Zealand, our wonder 

 is that its colonization was so long delayed. 



