Chap. I. MISSIONARY AND HEATHEN NATIVES. 1 1 
teacher who had so gratuitously attempted to lower him 
in the esteem of the White settlers. 
E Kuru had till now set the example to his people 
of following the worship of the missionaries ; but from 
this moment he resolutely and firmly abandoned the 
new doctrine. 
It was a matter of constant observation, now, among 
all classes of settlers, that the results of the missionary 
system of instruction were not by any means satisfactory, 
in a general point of view. At Wellington no less 
than at Tf^anganui, and at other places where there 
were no white settlers, this fact began to startle the 
impartial observer. 
The only good result that appeared to have been ob- 
tained, was the strict and rigid adherence to the mere 
forms of the Christian religion, and a knowledge of 
reading and writing in their own language. But it 
was hardly a matter of doubt that the conversion pene- 
trated no deeper than the mere forms ; and it was to 
be regretted that the instruction given generally was 
purely religious. The mihanere natives, as a body, 
were distinctly inferior in point of moral character to 
the natives who remained with their ancient customs 
unchanged, and also to those who, in the immediate 
neighbourhood of Wellington, had acquired some de- 
gree of civilization and general knowledge, together 
with the Christian creed. A very common answer 
from a converted native, accused of theft, was, "How can 
" that be ? I am a mihanere." And yet at some j)laces, 
such as Patea, where their religious enthusiasm was 
carried, in form, to the most extravagant pitch, they 
maintained the very worst character for honesty and 
courtesy to a stranger. My agent, who had been in 
one of the boats that was wrecked there, described to 
me both these traits in their present state. It nmst be 
