372 



NEW-ZEALAND. 



[1830 



anchored, and his crew lived on terms of familiarity and apparently 

 of cordial friendship with the natives. But some offence was given 

 unintentionally to the passionate and capricious savages. Ever eager 

 for revenge, they came upon the Europeans unawares, and murdered 

 Marion in a most brutal manner, with sixteen of his crew, who accom- 

 panied him on shore. Another party of his crew, consisting of eleven 

 men, who were cutting wood in a different part of the bay, were attacked 

 at the same time, and only one of them escaped to the ship, to com- 

 municate the disastrous intelligence. When the French landed with 

 all their force, to seek the remains of their unfortunate countrymen 

 and brave commander, who fell at the first onset, the natives insultingly 

 called to them from their fastnesses, and boasted that their chief had 

 eaten Marion's heart ! 



The English have suffered from similar acts of perfidy, the last of 

 which was the case of the ship Boyd, in 1809, the crew of which, to the 

 number of seventy, was massacred by the chief named George. 

 Since that period, the nature and disposition of these people have un- 

 dergone a most wonderful change for the better, through the unwearied 

 labours of benevolent and pious missionaries. They are now a 

 civilized, rational business people, having a very brisk intercourse with 

 the British settlements of New South Wales, and Van Dieman's 

 Land. They make excellent sailors too, after a short course of train- 

 ing ; as I can vouch for from experience, having had several of them at 

 sea with me. 



January 23d. — On Saturday, the 23d, agreeably to previous ar- 

 rangements, I attended Mrs. Morrell to the missionary establish- 

 ment, which she was very anxious to visit. We were accompanied 

 by three of the English captains before mentioned, King, M'Auly, and 

 Gray ; and were met on the beach by the Rev. Mr. Williams, who 

 appeared to be very much rejoiced to see us. After a mutual inter- 

 change of the customary courtesies, he conducted us to his house, and 

 introduced us to his amiable family — a lovely wife, and two very in- 

 teresting daughters, just fitted to receive and impart pleasure, in the 

 rational sphere of moderate fashionable life. I contemplated these 

 females with peculiar interest, and could not conceal my admiration of 

 that disinterested devotedness which could induce them to leave their 

 country, with so many endearing relationships, and become immured 

 for life in a solitary spot, on the opposite side of the globe, surrounded 

 by barbarous savages, and exposed to a thousand privations. 'Twas 

 the divinity which stirred within them. 



In this missionary establishment, which lies about five miles from 

 the Antarctic's anchorage, on the west side of the bay, the most admi- 

 rable and perfect system of order prevails which I have ever wit- 

 nessed ; and this is all owing to a proper and judicious apportionment 

 of time. They rise, every morning, at daybreak, when the labouring 

 natives assemble, and the day is opened with prayer. After despatching 

 a hasty but wholesome breakfast, they repair to the field, each missionary 

 dressed in his coarse frock and trousers, carrying in his hand a hoe 

 or spade, or some other agricultural implement. Here they labour all 

 the forenoon, with as much industry and perseverance as any of our 



