Chap. XIX. THE NEW SUPERINTENDENT. 527 
ment, he was conspicuous for a total absence of selfish- 
ness ; and was accordingly revered by his fellow- 
colonists, who, almost to a man, grieved for his death 
as if they had lost a near and dear relation. I have 
said before how the natives, before they were corrupted 
by the insane course of Captain Hobson's and Lieu- 
tenant Shortland's governments, described him as " a 
" man with a soft tongue and a great heart," He was 
one of the authors of the project for amalgamating the 
natives with the colonists by means of upholding the rank 
of the chiefs through the possession of valuable pro- 
perty in the civilized community, and was an enthu- 
siast in seeking to promote that honourable work. And 
all this Captain Fitzroy knew well. 
This part of the new Governor's conduct of affairs 
was put aside for a time by the settlers, in their con- 
sideration as to how they should treat him. In every- 
thing else they said that he promised to do all that 
they could wish ; and it was useless for them to enter 
into a new contest, already more than half crippled as 
they were. 
Major Richmond was the perfect shadow of his 
Excellency during his stay at Wellington, and was 
duly appointed Superintendent of the Southern Dis- 
trict, with the title of " His Honour," and a salary of 
600/. per anum. It had been thought that some one 
might have been selected for this situation from among 
the leading colonists. Mr Petre and many others were 
considered as fit for the duties as an over-cautious 
hanger-on, who displayed but little sympathy for either 
settlers or natives, and who was apparently callous to 
all feeling except self. 
Every one who knew the public conduct of Major 
Richmond was sure that Cook's Strait would still be 
under the rule of a mere Police Magistrate, only better 
