566 FENCES — FLAG — ANCHORAGE. DeC. 



native habits than they yet deserve ; for the fences are fortifi- 

 cations — defences against intruding men, not cattle. 



In a conspicuous solitary position, opposite to the entrance 

 of Kororareka harbour, a single English house, without an- 

 other building within a mile of it, nor any protection except 

 that of a tall staff, on which waved the British Union-jack, 

 presented a contrast to the fortified villages; and forcibly 

 impressed one's mind with a conviction of the great influence 

 already obtained over the formerly wild cannibals of New 

 Zealand. 



The entrance to the harbour is narrow, even to the eye, but 

 it is still more confined by shoal water. In entering or leav- 

 ing it, a ship ought to keep close to Kororareka Point : after 

 rounding that point, at the distance of a cable's length, the 

 sheltered part of the port is seen, looking like the mouth of a 

 navigable river. On the western side, the native village of Ko- 

 rorareka, a straggling collection of low huts, strongly palisaded; 

 on the eastern, three or four English houses, the head-quarters 

 of the missionaries ; on the rising ground, near the water, far 

 up the harbour, several more houses and villages — gave an 

 appearance of population and successful exertion as sur- 

 prising as satisfactory. Near a detached house of European 

 form, a large white ensign excited our curiosity; and we found 

 it was the flag of New Zealand ; differing only from the ensign 

 of St. George in the upper ' canton,*" next the staff, where, 

 instead of a Union-jack, there is a red cross on a blue field ; 

 each quarter of the blue field being ' pierced' by a white star. 



We anchored between Kororareka and Paihia (the missionary 

 settlement) : farther up the harbour were several whale-ships 

 which had anchored there, I was told, in order to avoid the 

 spirit-shops of Kororareka. 



From this anchorage the view on all sides is pleasing. An 

 appearance of fertility every where meets the eye ; but there 

 are no grand or very remarkable features. There is nothing in 

 the outward character of the country corresponding to the 

 ferocious sanguinary disposition of its aboriginal inhabitants. 

 The British resident, some English settlers, and two of the 



