Dec. 1835. 



NEW ZEALAND. 



499 



it down, and effect their entry. When a tribe goes to war, 

 the chief cannot order one party to go here, and another 

 there ; but every man fights in the manner which best pleases 

 himself ; and for individuals to approach a stockade defended 

 by fire-arms, must appear certain death. I should think 

 a more warlike race of inhabitants could not be found in 

 any part of the world, than the New Zealanders. Their 

 conduct on first seeing a ship, as described by Captain 

 Cook, strongly illustrates this : the act of throwing volleys 

 of stones at so great and novel an object, and their de- 

 fiance, of Come on shore and we will kill and eat you 

 aiy^ shows uncommon boldness. This warlike spirit is 

 evident in many of their customs, and even in their smallest 

 actions. If a New Zealander is struck, although but in joke, 

 the blow must be returned ; and of this 1 saw an instance 

 with one of our officers. 



At the present day, from the progress of civilization, there 

 is much less warfare. When Europeans first traded here, 

 muskets and ammunition far exceeded in value any other 

 article : now they are in little request, and are indeed often 

 offered for sale. Among some of the southern tribes, how- 

 ever, there is still much hostility. I heard a characteristic 

 anecdote of what took place there some time ago. A mis- 

 sionary found a chief and his tribe in preparation for war ; — ■ 

 their muskets clean and bright, and their ammunition ready. 

 He reasoned long on the inutility of the war, and the little 

 provocation which had been given for it. The chief was much 

 shaken in his resolution, and seemed in doubt : but at 

 length it occurred to him, that a barrel of his gunpowder 

 was in a bad state, and that it would not keep much longer. 

 This was brought forward as an unanswerable argument 

 for the necessity of immediately declaring war: the idea 

 of allowing so much good gunpowder to spoil was not to be 

 thought of ; and this settled the point. 



I was told by the missionaries, that in the life of Shongi, 

 the chief who visited England, the love of war was the one 

 and lasting spring of every action. The tribe in which he 



2 K 2 



