576 BRITISH RESIDENT VINES KORORAREKA. DeC. 



Resident,* at his house (protected by the flag, as I have already 

 mentioned) occupied Mr. Darwin and myself some time. Like 

 most of the missionary dwellings, it is a temporary boarded 

 cottage, intended only for present purposes. Mr. Busby was 

 taking great pains with his garden ; and among other plants 

 he anticipated that vines would flourish. Those at Waitangi 

 (the name of his place) are favoured by climate, as well as by 

 the superintendance of a person who so thoroughly understands 

 their culture. At a future day not only New Zealand, but 

 Van Diemen s Land, and all New Holland, will acknowledge 

 the obligation conferred upon them by this gentleman, who 

 made a long and troublesome journey through France and 

 Spain solely for the purpose of collecting vines for Australia, 

 his adopted country. 



Mr. Busby''s official occupations at New Zealand appeared 

 to me of a very neutral character. An isolated individual, not 

 having even the authority of a magistrate, encircled by 

 savages, and by a most troublesome class of his own country- 

 men, I was not astonished at his anxiety to receive definite 

 instructions, and substantial support ; or at the numerous com- 

 plaints continually made by the English settlers. 



Afterwards we went to Kororareka. On a sandy level, nar- 

 rowly bounded by a low range of hills, or rather rising grounds, 

 stands the principal assemblage of houses in the island ; or as 

 the missionaries say, ' in the land'. I have said assemblage of 

 houses, because it did not agree with my ideas of a town, a 

 village, a hamlet, or even an Indian encampment. Near the 

 beach were a few small cottages which had once been white- 

 washed. At the foot of the hills were two or three small houses 

 of European build ; but the remaining space of ground ap- 

 peared to be covered by palings, and pig-styes. The tempo- 

 rary enclosures which are made in a market-place, for cattle, 

 might give an idea of the appearance of these sadly wretched 

 dwelling places. The palings, or palisades, are intended to be 

 fortifications : they are high, sometimes eight or ten feet ; and, 

 almost encircling the whole, a stronger palisade is fixed, but so 

 inefficiently that either strength, an axe, or fire, would ensure 



