«» ADVENTURE IN NEW ZEALAND. Chap. VII. 
from Mr. Dudley Sinclair. These land-orders were 
each an authority from the Company to their agent 
to allow the owner to select one town acre and one 
hundred country acres according to the number which 
he had obtained in the lottery, explained by me in a 
former chapter. 
A brig arrived from Sydney with thirty head of 
cattle. She was stated to be chartered by a compiiny 
formed in Sydney with a large capital to buy land and 
occupy it. The agent on board laid claim to a large 
tract of land nearly opposite the island of ManOj 
bought from some former purchaser ; but the opera- 
tions of the agent had been stopped by a proclamation 
made at Sydney on the 14th of January against any 
further purchasing of land in New Zealand. A 
Sydney paper on board contained a copy of this do- 
cument, which was issued by the Governor of New 
South Wales in order to stop the very extensive land- 
sharking going on in all parts of the islands lately 
placed under his government, especially since our 
doings had acquired publicity. The agent on board 
asked from 30/. to 40/. per head for his cows, but could 
find no buyers at that price. 
On the 2nd of March, the first meeting of the Com- 
mittee or Council of Colonists took place. 
In order to understand what this means, it is neces- 
sary to glance back at the steps taken by the settlers 
and their friends in England between the sailing of 
the Tory and the departure of the first emigrant- 
ships from Great Britain. 
The intending colonists, in directing their course to 
New Zealand, were aware that the natives of that 
country were represented as independent by the Go- 
vernment which refused to foster them in their ad- 
venture, and by the missionary body which had 
threatened to " thwart them by every means in its 
