Chap. X. THEIR REAL VALUE. 251 
Reserve would be allowed by them to remain unoccupied 
and untouched, even according to their wasteful system 
of agriculture. 
In one or two cases, a deviation from the rule of 
choosing the unchosen section of most value to a White 
man was made at the express request of one of the 
chiefs themselves, in order to choose some hilly but 
favourite location of the natives. With these exceptions, 
I have no hesitation in saying that the Reserves were so 
selected, that I, if I had been the private owner of them, 
should have given my highest approbation to the agent 
who selected them. 
With equal confidence can I aifirm, that had the 
Government to whom their management was intrusted 
performed the trust as it was in duty bound, the chiefs 
of Port Nicholson would by this time have been men 
of wealth and station in the community. Their cattle 
would have been lowing in the pastures, and their corn- 
fields waving in the breeze. Their sons would have 
been educated thoroughly, and their daughters perhaps 
married to settlers of property. Their followers would 
have been well clothed and fed, provided with good 
schools and hospitals, and profitably employed on their 
chieftains' estates. 
And I should consider it one of the duties of a right- 
minded Protector of the Aborigines to impeach the 
local Government of New Zealand for a gross and 
wilful breach of trust in this particular towards their 
helpless and ignorant wards. 
Mr. Halswell was allowed to remain as agent for 
the new Trustees ; but he had little to do after this. 
The value of land generally was beginning to decline 
considerably, in consequence of the long delay in ob- 
taining a good title. The dilatory proceedings of the 
Court of Claims and Mr. Clarke's letter had so encou- 
