IN THEIR FAMILIES. 
99 
may eventually terminate in the loss of many 
lives. Great opposition is made to any one taking, 
except for some political purpose, a wife from 
another tribe ; so that such intermarriages seldom 
occur. In the Mission, however, we have endea- 
voured, as much as possible, to persuade them to 
allow us to intermarry their sons and daughters, 
though the parties have been of different tribes, 
and belonging to those who are their open or 
secret enemies ; and we have succeeded, beyond 
our most sanguine expectations. The result of it 
has been, that a better understanding has been 
established ; contending parties have become re- 
conciled to each other; and those who from 
time immemorial were enemies, have been made 
friends, and have joined together in one common 
cause. Polygamy does not now exist to any thing 
like the extent it formerly did; and infanticide 
and self-murder are almost banished from among 
the natives in the neighbourhood of the Bay of 
Islands. 
As the feelings of the natives of these islands 
are easily roused to anger, and as it takes but 
little to work them up to the highest pitch of fury, 
so the traits of their affection and kindness are 
easily called forth in their strongest outlines. 
Though I have seen them exceedingly patient 
under injuries, yet a small apparent cause will 
wake up the untamed spirit that dwells within. 
When once, however, the savage man is roused, 
it is impossible to say to what lengths of reck- 
F 2 
