576 BRITISH RESIDE-NT VINES — KORORAREKA. DeC. 



Resident,' at his house (protected by the flag, as I have already 

 mentioned) occupied Mr. Darwin and myself some time. Like 

 most of the missionary dwellings, it is a temporary boarded 

 cottage, intended only for present purposes. Mr. Busby was 

 taking great pains with his garden ; and among other plants 

 he anticipated that vines would flourish. Those at Waitangi 

 (the name of his place) are favoured by climate, as well as by 

 the superintendance of a person who so thoroughly understands 

 their culture. At a future day not only New Zealand, but 

 Van Diemen's Land, and all New Holland, will acknowledge 

 the obligation conferred upon them by this gentleman, who 

 made a long and troublesome journey through France and 

 Spain solely for the purpose of collecting vines for Australia^ 

 his adopted country. 



Mr. Busby's official occupations at New Zealand appeared 

 +o me of a very neutral character. An isolated individual, not 

 having even the authority of a magistrate, encircled by 

 savages, and by a most troublesome class of his own country- 

 men, I was not astonished at his anxiety to receive definite 

 instructions, and substantial support ; or at the numerous com- 

 plaints continually made by the English settlers. 



Afterwards we went to Kororareka. On a sandy level, nar- 

 rowly bounded by a low range of hills, or rather rising grounds, 

 stands the principal assemblage of houses in the island ; or as 

 the missionaries say, ' in the land'. I have said assemblage of 

 houses, because it did not agree with my ideas of a town, a 

 village, a hamlet, or even an Indian encampment. Near the 

 beach were a few small cottages which had once been white- 

 washed. At the foot of the hills were two or three small houses 

 of European build ; but tlie remaining space of ground ap- 

 peared to be covered by palings, and pig-styes. The tempo- 

 rary enclosures which are made in a market-place, for cattle, 

 might give an idea of the appearance of these sadly wretched 

 dwelling places. The palings, or palisades, are intended to be 

 fortifications : they are high, sometimes eight or ten feet ; and, 

 almost encircling the whole, a stronger palisade is fixed, but so 

 inefficiently that either strength, an axe, or fire, would ensure 



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