NEW ZEALAND. 38] 



where are to be seen in action here, where the savage is already 

 sinking imperceptibly before the advances of civilization. While 

 philanthropy, real or pretended, is ransacking the globe to find subjects 

 for its benevolence, it seems a little surprising that scarcely a voice 

 has been raised in Parliament against this act of usurpation. 



On the 29th of February, 1840, there was a violent gale at the Bay 

 of Islands, said by the missionaries to have been the severest they had 

 experienced, with perhaps the exception of one which took place 

 shortly after their arrival. Many vessels suffered great damage. 

 The Thorn, of Sag Harbour, which sailed a few days before, bound 

 home, was obliged to put back, and in consequence of the damage 

 received, was condemned as unseaworthy, as was also the Tuscan, an 

 English whaler. The barque Nimrod arrived, having lost her topmast, 

 and several coasters were missing, supposed to have been lost. Most 

 of the vessels lying off Kororarika dragged their anchors, but they 

 suffered less from not being much exposed ; the Harriet was driven 

 ashore at Tipoona, a few miles to the eastward, near Point Pocock. 

 This vessel parted her cables during the night, and the next morning 

 was found a complete wreck. The crew barely escaped with their 

 lives. Besides these disasters on the water, those on the land were 

 also great: fences were carried away, houses deluged, grounds over- 

 flowed, wharves injured, and the extensive embankment of the mission- 

 ary establishment at Pahia nearly demolished. The tide rose six 

 feet, during the night of Saturday, beyond its usual mark, which caused 

 most of the damage. 



This gale was experienced at the Thames on board H. B. M. ship 

 Herald, one hundred and forty miles to the south; also by the Flying- 

 Fish, off Cook's Straits, and by the barque Achilles, to the north. Mr. 

 Hale was a passenger in the last named vessel, and took barometrical 

 observations and notes during the continuance of the gale. 



From the observations, it appears that the change took place at the 

 two northern and two southern positions, in opposite directions, proving 

 that the gale was a rotary one, and that its centre must have passed 

 between the Bay of Islands and the river Thames. The greatest force 

 of the gale was between the hours of 1 and 3 a. m., on the 1st of March. 

 At the Bay of Islands, a calm was observed by Mr. Dana and others, 

 which lasted fifteen minutes, after which the wind rapidly hauled round 

 to the westward, and blew with increased violence. On board the 

 Herald, the barometer fell to 28-75 in., and from the fact of the gale 

 having been experienced first to the northward and eastward, it is 

 certain that it came from that quarter, and passed over New Zealand 

 in a southwest direction: the width of the track was about five hundred 



