Chav. XVII. WISE BENEVOLENCE OF MARSDEN. 441 i 
" the entrance of the harbour, and offering one of the 
" most inviting situations of any that we had yet seen 
" for building a town upon ; and will, I doubt not, 
" should the mission succeed, be eventually its prin- 
" cipal settlement. The missionaries evinced a strong 
" desire to fix themselves here in preference to Range- 
" hoo, where the ground being so hilly and steep, the 
" extent of their agricultural labours must necessarily 
" be circumscribed, and confined to a few interjacent 
*' spots. But Mr. Marsden was averse to this measure ; 
" judging very properly, that they should rather consult 
" their sphere of usefulness to others, than that circle 
" which would be most advantageous to themselves," 
On the 28th of February 1815, Marsden returned 
to New South Wales, having left the missionaries busy 
at their work. 
Wise as he was good, his plans were not confined to 
the sole teaching of the Gospel, unaided by humanizing 
civilization or institutions compatible with the subor- 
dination of ranks, which tradition and long association 
had robed with respect in the simple mind of the New 
Zealander. We have seen that he procured the appoint- 
ment of two high chiefs of the tribe among which the 
missionaries were to begin their labours, as Magistrates, 
together with the person who was to head the mission ; 
and thus introduced the great change under provisions 
the most favourable for its continuance, and the most 
agreeable for its manner of operation. He combined 
great moral improvement with a preservation of poli- 
tical institutions. Moreover, he provided that persons 
skilful in agriculture and the mechanical arts should 
he attached to the mission : thus combining spiritual 
with social advancement. He foresaw that, without 
coincident civilization, Christianity would become to 
the savage but an empty mockery and form, a toy to 
be taken up and thrown away at leisure. This was the 
