IV. — MISCELLANEOUS 



Art LIIL — Our Earliest Settlers. By E. C. Barstow. 

 [Read before the Auckland Institute, SOth November, 1882.] 

 I must commence by giving a definition of the word " settlers." I do not 

 mean "colonists" thereby, because at the time of which I am about to 

 speak, the notion of forming a colony in New Zealand, — (by colony, I 

 understand a body of people transplanted from the parent state, but re- 

 maining in more or less subjection to it), — had not entered into men's 

 minds ; nor do I yet mean the first white people who came by chance to 

 be dwellers in these islands, for these were, with one exception, runaway 

 convicts from New South Wales and deserters from ships, — the former 

 seeking to regain their liberty, the latter either disgusted at their treatment 

 on board ship, or perchance beguiled from their duty by the blandishments 

 of Maori maidens. To these classes may be added a few notorious mis- 

 creants whom masters of vessels, for their own safety, had put on shore. 

 But the people of whom I am about to speak, were those who came here 

 deliberately with the intention of remaining for years or for life. Their 

 last survivor has but recently passed away. 



These islands were first made generally known to Europe owing to 

 Tasman's having anchored off the southern one so long ago as the year 

 1642. The hostility of the numerous inhabitants deterred him from 

 attempting to land, but we owe to this visit the name which our country 

 still retains, " New Zealand." We have no record of its having been again 

 visited until Cook in 1769 reached its shores from Tahiti ; but from this, 

 and his two subsequent voyages hither, can be traced every successive step 

 which has led to making New Zealand what we now see it to be. Through 

 Cook became known its extent, populousness, fertility of its land, the 

 excellence of its harbours, whilst upon the other hand the natives acquired 

 pigs and potatoes, at the same time becoming acquainted with the uses of 

 iron and firearms. We shall see presently the consequences of these so 

 diverse subjects. 



The accounts of Captain Cook's voyages led to two schemes of very 

 different characters, — the one being the formation of a penal settlement at 

 Port Jackson in 1788 by Captain Phillip with some 750 convicts ; the other, 

 the despatch by the London Missionary Society of a body of missionaries in 

 1796 to Tahiti, in the ship " Duff; " of this party a Mr. and Mrs. Henry 



