500 



NEW ZEALAND. 



Dec. 1835. 



was a principal chief, had at one time been much oppressed, 

 by another from the Thames river. A solemn oath was taken 

 by the men, that when their boys should grow up, and they 

 should be powerful enough, they would never forget or for- 

 give these injuries. To fulfil this appears to have been 

 Shongi's chief motive for going to England ; and when there 

 it was his sole object. Presents were valued only as they 

 could be converted into arms ; of the arts, those alone were 

 interesting, which were concerned with the manufacture of 

 arms. When at Sydney, Shongi, by a strange coincidence, 

 met the hostile chief of the Thames river at the house of Mr. 

 Marsden : their conduct was civil to each other ; but Shongi 

 told him, that when again in New Zealand he would never 

 cease to carry war into his country. The challenge was 

 accepted ; and Shongi on his return fulfilled the threat to the 

 utmost letter. The tribe on the Thames river was utterly 

 overthrown, and the chief to whom the challenge had been 

 given, was himself killed. Shongi, although harbouring such 

 deep feelings of hatred and revenge, is described as having 

 been a goodnatured person. 



In the evening I went with Captain FitzRoy, and Mr. 

 Baker, one of the missionaries, to pay a visit to Kororadika. 

 This is the largest village, and will one day, no doubt increase 

 till it becomes the chief town : besides a considerable native 

 population, there are many English residents. These latter are 

 men of the most worthless character: and among them are many 

 runaway convicts from New South Wales. There are many 

 spirit-shops ; and the whole population is addicted to drunk- 

 enness and all kinds of vice. As this is the capital, a person 

 would be inclined to form his opinion of the New Zealanders 

 from what he here saw ; but in this case his estimate of their 

 character would be too low. This little village is the very 

 stronghold of vice. Although many tribes in other parts 

 have embraced Christianity, here the greater part yet remain 

 in heathenism. In such places the missionaries are held in 

 little esteem : but they complain far more of the conduct of 

 their countrymen, than of that of the natives. It is strange, 



