1835. 



MISTAKE — PAIHIA — NATIVES. 



567 



native chiefs came on board during the afternoon ; and in the 

 evening I made acquaintance with Mr. Baker, a missionary 

 residing at Paihia. The resident's boat was manned by young 

 Zealanders, whose smooth faces, cropped hair, Scotch caps, and 

 jackets and trowsers, were much approved of (perhaps hypo- 

 critically), by a chief whose long war-canoe was well-manned 

 by athletic savages with half-naked figures, faces deeply-scarred 

 -^rather than tattowed— and long curly hair. 



We were amused by finding that the Beagle had been 

 mistaken for a ship of the (so called) Baron de Thierry. Her 

 small size ; the number of boats ; and her hoisting a white 

 ensign (thought to be that of New Zealand), so completely 

 deceived them all, that one boat only approached reluctantly, 

 after we had anchored, to reconnoitre ; but as soon as it was 

 known that the expected intruder had not arrived, visitors 

 hastened on board. Had he made such an experiment, he would 

 hardly have escaped with life, so inveterate and general was 

 the feeling then existing against his sinister and absurd attempt. 

 He would indeed have found himself in a nest of hornets. 



In walking about the missionary establishment at Paihia, I 

 was disappointed by seeing the natives so dirty, and their huts 

 looking little better than pigstyes. Immediately round the 

 dwellings of the missionaries I expected a better state of things ; 

 but I was told, that their numerous and increasing avocations 

 engrossed all their time ; and that the native population were 

 slow in adopting habits, or even ideas, of cleanliness. 



My first impression, upon seeing several New Zealanders in 

 their native dress and dirtiness was, that they were a race inter- 

 mediate between the Otaheitans and Fuegians; and I after- 

 wards found that Mr. Stokes and others saw many precise 

 resemblances to the Fuegians, while every one admitted their 

 likeness to the Otaheitans. To me they all seem to be one and 

 the same race of men, altered by climate, habits, and food ; but 

 descended from the same original stock. 



Of a middle size, spare, but strong frame, and dark com- 

 plexion, the New Zealand er'^s outward appearance is much in 

 his favour ; hardiness and activity, as may be expected, he 



