438 ADVENTURE IN NEW ZEALAND. Ch*p. XVII. 
" the Society provided as the guides and instructors 
" of this people. Mr. Marsden, rightly judging that 
" supplying the wants of the natives gratuitously would 
" be attended with an exorbitant expense to the So- 
" ciety, and rather retard than promote the grand 
" object of civilization, purchased the vessel to excite 
" a spirit of trade among them, and afford them conti- 
" nual opportunities of exchanging the valuable pro- 
" ductions of their island for some of our commodities." 
After much earnest importunity, Marsden obtained 
leave of absence from the Governor ; who told him he 
did not think himself justified in granting him per- 
mission to venture his life in so dangerous an enter- 
prise. At his instance. Governor Macquarie made 
Mr. Kendall a Magistrate in New Zealand, and con- 
ferred an authority of a like nature upon the two 
chiefs who were to accompany him. 
On the 28th of November 1814, the brig Active, of 
110 tons, left the heads of Sydney harbour, having on 
board, besides the ship's crew, Marsden, the three 
missionaries and their families, Mr. Nicholas, and eight 
New Zealanders. Strange to say, they were accom- 
panied by three male convict servants ; security for 
whose return to New South Wales in three years was 
given by Messrs. Marsden and Kendal. Two escaped 
convicts, who did not creep from their hiding-place 
until far from land, were also among the passengers, 
and escaped to the shore before the departure of the 
brig from New Zealand. Horses, cattle, sheep, pigs, 
poultry, goats, cats, and dogs, gave the small ship an 
ark-like appearance. 
On the morning of the 16th of December, they 
sailed past the Three Kings and Cape Maria Van 
Diemen, and anchored on the coast some days after. 
Between this time and the latter end of February 
