NEW ZEALAND 



chiefs did not understand how much land the Colonel 

 thought he was buying, and did not have any notion of 

 selling the vast area claimed by the Company. At the 

 time, however, the Company did not appreciate the 

 difficulties of land purchase in New Zealand, and relying 

 upon the Maori deeds they organized a body of colonists 

 and landed them in January, 1840. 



The settlers and traders and land sharks, the menace 

 of French interference, the change of heart among the 

 missionaries and the presence of the New Zealand Company 

 at last induced the Colonial Office to annex the islands. 

 In 1839 a royal proclamation was issued, extending the 

 political boundaries of New South Wales to include any 

 territory that might be acquired by Her Majesty in New 

 Zealand, and Captain Hobson arrived at the Bay of Islands 

 January 29, 1840, with a commission as Lieutenant 

 Governor under the Governor of New South Wales. The 

 history of New Zealand as part of the British Empire dates 

 from that day. The royal proclamation covered only such 

 territory as might be acquired in sovereignty by the Queen. 

 On February 5th, 1840, a week after Hobson's lauding, the 

 northern chiefs were gathered in conference at Waitangi 

 and the question cf British rule laid before them. The 

 result was the Treaty of Waitangi in the following terms : 



rst. The chiefs of New Zealand ceded to Her Majesty, 

 absolutely and without reservation, all their rights and 

 powers of sovereignty. 



2nd. Her Majestj' guaranteed to the chiefs and tribes 

 of New Zealand full exclusive and undisturbed possession 

 of their lands and estates, forests, fisheries and other 

 properties ; but the chiefs yielded to Her Majesty the 

 exclusive rights of pre-emption over such lauds as the 

 proprietors thereof might be disposed to alienate at such 

 price as might be agreed upon. 



3rd. Her Majesty gave the natives of New Zealand all 

 the rights and privileges of British subjects, 



