CoLENSo. — On the Day in wJiich CooJc took possession of N.Z, 103 



custom or temper, sucli an important event was unaccountably delayed for a 

 very long period ; and note, further, that in his now leaving Mercury Bay, 

 ho was not about to leave the country. 



I come now to the positive part of my argument, viz : — ■ 

 (Third). What has also been published respecting Cook's taking 

 X^ossession of New Zealand by a fellow-voyager and witness of the 

 transaction. 

 Sir Joseph Banks took with him an experienced draughtsman, named 

 Sydney Parkinson. (Of this young gentleman, who was a member of the 

 Society of Friends, I have something more to say in a brief memoir.) He 

 kept a journal of the proceedings and of the main incidents of the voyage. 

 Unfortunately he died at sea, after leaving Batavia, on the voyage home of the 

 ship, much lamented by all on board. His journal, however, was published 

 in London by his brother, in the same year as the larger work of Cook's 

 First Voyage (1773), and in it Sydney Parkinson, speaking of their landing, 

 etc., in Poverty Bay, says : — "Early on the morning of the 10th, the long- 

 boat, pinnace, and yawl went on shore again, and landed near the river 

 where they had been the night before, and attempted to find a watering- 

 place. Several of the natives came towards them, and, with much entreat- 

 ing, we prevailed on some of them to cross the river, to whom we gave 

 several things which they carried back to their companions on the other 

 side of the river, who seemed to be highly pleased with them, and testified 

 their joy by a war-dance. Appearing to be so pacifically disposed, our 

 company went over to them and were received in a friendly manner. Some 

 of the natives were armed with lances, and others with a kind of stone- 

 truncheon ; through the handle of it was a string which they twisted round 

 the hand that held it when they attempted to strike at any person. We 

 would have purchased some of their weapons, but could not prevail on 

 them to part with them on any terms. One of them, however, watched an 

 opportunity and snatched a hanger from us ; our people resented the affront 

 by firing upon them and killed three of them on the spot ; but the rest, to 

 our surprise, did not appear to be intimidated at the sight of their expiring 

 countrymen, who lay weltering in their blood ; nor did they seem to 

 breathe any revenge upon the occasion ; attempting only to wrest the hanger 

 out of the man's hand that had been shot, and to take the weapons that 

 belonged to their other two deceased comrades, which having effected, they 

 quietly departed. After having taken possession of the countnj in form for the 

 King, our company embarked and went round the bay in search of water 

 again, and to apprehend, if possible, some of the natives, to gain farther 

 information of them respecting the island. They had not gone far before 

 they saw a canoe ; gave chase to it ; and when they came up with it, the 



