THE VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE 



445 



wearing a shirt black and matted with filth, and when asked 

 how it came to be so dirty, he replied, with surprise, " Do 

 not you see it is an old one ? " Some of the men have shirts ; 

 but the common dress is one or two large blankets, generally 

 black with dirt, which are thrown over their shoulders in a 

 very inconvenient and awkward fashion. A few of the prin- 

 cipal chiefs have decent suits of English clothes; but these 

 are only worn on great occasions. 



December 23rd. — At a place called Waimate, about fifteen 

 miles from the Bay of Islands, and midway between the 

 eastern and western coasts, the missionaries have purchased 

 some land for agricultural purposes. I had been introduced 

 to the Rev. W. Williams, who, upon my expressing a wish, 

 invited me to pay him a visit there. Mr. Bushby, the British 

 resident, offered to take me in his boat by a creek, where I 

 should see a pretty waterfall, and by which means my 

 walk would be shortened. He likewise procured for me a 

 guide. 



Upon asking a neighbouring chief to recommend a man, the 

 chief himself offered to go; but his ignorance of the value 

 of money was so complete, that at first he asked how many 

 pounds I would give him, but afterwards was well contented 

 with two dollars. When I showed the chief a very small 

 bundle, which I wanted carried, it became absolutely neces- 

 sary for him to take a slave. These feelings of pride are 

 beginning to wear away ; but formerly a leading man would 

 sooner have died, than undergone the indignity of carrying 

 the smallest burden. My companion was a light active man, 

 dressed in a dirty blanket, and with his face completely 

 tattooed. He had formerly been a great warrior. He ap- 

 peared to be on very cordial terms with Mr. Bushby; but at 

 various times they had quarrelled violently. Mr. Bushby 

 remarked that a little quiet irony would frequently silence 

 any one of these natives in their most blustering moments. 

 This chief has come and harangued Mr. Bushby in a hec- 

 toring manner, saying, "great chief, a great man, a friend 

 of mine, has come to pay me a visit — you must give him 

 something good to eat, some fine presents, etc." Mr. Bushby 

 has allowed him to finish his discourse, and then has quietly 

 replied by some answer such as, " What else shall your slave 



