sionary agents that is not absolutely due to candour and truth. They served their generation according to the will of God, and, with one exception, left the world without personally making any demands upon the gratitude of posterity. Yet we affirm, that they laid the foundation of those measures that have issued in the commercial elevation of New-Zealand. In their heroism and teaching originated the noble collegiate and educational institutions that now adorn the country. The statesman may smile at the assertion, but those pioneers won those beautiful islands to the British crown. What would the natives have cared for the naval and land forces of Great Britain? They knew perfectly well that, though the artillery might damage many of their magnificent kauri trees, they could not reach the people; and that there would be as much sense in sending their troops into the dense forests of the country to catch the kukupá as to kill the natives. What company of commercial speculators ever thought of establishing themselves in New-Zealand, either to test the quality of its soil or to ascertain its mineral resources, till the artisans of Marsden, and the missionaries Butler and Leigh, had demonstrated to modern scepticism, that, under the guardianship of the God of Daniel, good men could live amongst lions? Up to that time the mariner, whose ship was stranded upon its shores, yielded to despondency, and felt that his days were numbered. Like a lighthouse in the midst of surrounding darkness and desolation, the first missionaries repelled the waves of savage violence, and maintained their position. Their coadjutors and successors have been subjected to the misrepresentations of Colonizing Companies, whose cupidity they checked, and the insinuations of a vacillating local government, against which they felt obliged to appeal; yet have they done more to consolidate the peace of the country, to promote public confidence, (without which there can be no permanent prosperity in any state,) and to improve the social condition of the people, than all the civil enactments, the military establishments, and fiscal regulations of the politician.

CHAPTER VII.

MR. LEIGH interposes to prevent War--Is seized and thrown down a Hill-Mrs. Leigh presents Utu, or "Satisfaction," and prevents Bloodshed-The Tapu an Instrument of political Power -Curious Experiments in Agriculture-The first native Harvest-Priests and Baptism-Domestic Training of BoysHabituated to Cruelty-Prevalence of Infanticide-The Expedient by which Mrs. Leigh checked the Evil-An empty Wine-Pipe converted into an Hospital for the sick Missionary -Arrival of Messrs. Marsden, Turner, and Hobbs-Part of a new Building falls upon the Missionaries-Mr. Marsden inspects their Premises, Grounds, and Schools-He inquires into the Temper of the Chiefs, the State of the Natives, and the Progress of the Brethren in Maori-He urges the Removal of Mr. Leigh to New South Wales-He administers the Lord's Supper, and gives an Account of his first Interview with the Natives The Distress of Tepui at parting with Mr. and Mrs. Leigh-They are detained at the Bay of Islands Mr. Marsden's Interviews with 'Hongi-Messrs. Marsden and Leigh, with Mrs. Leigh, and several Chiefs, sail in the Ship "Brompton" for New South Wales-The Ship strikes upon a Rock, and becomes a total Wreck-Mr. Marsden and Mr. and Mrs. Leigh landed upon an Island-A Canoe, driven by Stress of Weather to the Island, supplies them with Potatoes-Remain on the Island three Days-Are taken off by the Friends of the Church Mission-The Intelligence of this Disaster carried to Wangaroa-The Opinion of the Natives as to the Cause of Affliction—A Missionary wounded with an Axe-Incidents illustrative of the native Character-The shipwrecked Party sail in the "Dragon" for Port-Jackson-The Brethren at Wangaroa assaulted-A Chief levels his Musket twice to shoot one of them-The savage Conduct of this Chief to his Daughter -The Missionaries take a human Body out of the FireAlarmed for their Families-Altercations with the Natives-They preach to Mudi Wai and his Men-Friendly Interview with Tepui-The first Te Hakari, or "Fair"-State of the Aged and Afflicted-The Year closed with a Watch-night, the Covenant, and Sacrament.

THE Indo-Americans and the South-Sea Islanders have uniformly entertained the same ideas in regard to the necessity of revenging injuries, and of receiving what the latter call utu, or "satisfaction." In short, revenge is

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considered the most sacred passion and duty by both communities; while the forgiving of injuries is utterly unknown. No time can blot out the remembrance of an injury which has once been sustained: no distance can secure the unfortunate victim from the consequences of this passion. In the pursuit of vengeance, wiles and stratagems have been adopted by both nations. The Indian springs from his covert on the object of his resentment with his tomahawk: the New-Zealander cleaves his skull asunder, in some unsuspecting moment, with his deadly maree. The former scalps his victim, and makes a drinking-cup of his skull; the latter bakes his head in an oven, and preserves it as a trophy to future generations. The following incident may be adduced in illustration of those principles :

The brethren received intelligence that a considerable body of natives were on their way, from a remote part of the country, to fight the tribes of Wangaroa. They soon arrived: they were numerous, and well armed. The natives of Wesleydale had made the best use of their time, and were prepared to give them battle. One division of the invaders was posted on the side of the hill, while the other was drawn up on the margin of the valley below. The Wangaroa chiefs were advancing to the attack, when Mr. Leigh ran to a piece of rice-ground which lay between the contending parties, and made a sign for the chiefs to meet him. They did so. He commenced an address to them on the mischiefs of war and the benefits of peace; but had uttered only a few sentences, when one of them interrupted him: "You say too much," he observed: "utu, 'pay thou the price."" Before Mr. Leigh could reply to him, the furious savage seized him by the collar, and threw him down the hill. He rolled over several times before he could regain his footing, and rose up much shaken, and covered with mud. Mrs. Leigh, having witnessed this act of violence, ran to the chief who commanded the strangers, and inquired, "What utu do you require?" Assuming an angry and

menacing attitude, he replied, “Nothing less than a kāhu pai, 'a good garment."" Having bound over the belligerents to keep the peace for a few minutes, she hastened to the mission-house, and, taking the coverlet from off her own bed, returned immediately, and presented it to the enraged warrior as the gift of reconciliation. He received it with evident satisfaction; and, wrapping it round his body, exhibited the symbol of peace. His fighting-men expressed their assent by jumping simultaneously off the ground. On witnessing this unanimity, the chief exclaimed, "This pakeha, 'European,' has slain all our hearts."

Friendship being now restored, the foreigners wished to inspect the white teacher's residence, and insisted on seeing every thing inside and out. As they remained on the ground all night, the family was obliged to sit up and watch their property. Hearing much noise and confusion in the back yard, Mrs. Leigh went out to ascertain the cause, when she discovered one of the chiefs attempting to break open a cask of pork. She laid hold of him, and cried out, “If you don't desist, I will give you a fearful shake." He did not understand what she said, but seemed to think that it was a cabalistic utterance of awful import. "If you desire it,” said he, in an agitated manner, “I will place the tāpu upon this cask." Yes, do," said Mrs. Leigh; and, after hastily tāpuing the cask, he withdrew.

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A chief can tāpu any thing he chooses, so that no person of inferior rank will afterwards touch it: he can also, at his pleasure, remove the tāpu, with all its consequences. The chiefs are fully aware of the advantages of the tāpu. It confers on them, to a certain extent, the power of making laws, while the superstition on which it is founded insures the observance of them. The will of the chief is generally the law of the tribe; but on any emergency he calls the heads of the tribes together in council. Were they to transgress the tāpu, the natives believe that the Atua would kill them; and so universal is this belief,

that it is very rarely any one is found daring enough to commit the sacrilege. A delinquent, if discovered, would be stripped of every thing he possessed; and, if a slave, would in all probability be put to death: many instances of which have occurred. The ceremony of taking off the tāpu is performed by cooking some food, generally kúmaras, which is given to the chief. After eating a little of the food himself, he throws the remainder away: this is eaten (so it is believed) by the Atua, or at all events it appeases him. If a man imagines that he has offended his Atua, he generally offers a payment to appease his anger, such as throwing a favourite object into the water, burning his house to the ground, or even killing a slave. Parents not unfrequently betroth their children in infancy; and a woman in such a case becomes tapued to her future husband, and to him alone: nor can any other person make proposals to her even though he should die. This is a law which has had considerable influence on the population.

The chief who had thrown Mr. Leigh down the hill, while he was endeavouring to adjust their differences, now came to him in tears, and, with all the indications of profound sorrow, expressed his regret for having committed so unprovoked an assault upon the white teacher.

The enemy having retired from Wesleydale, the brethren proceeded with their fence. They broke up a portion of their land with spades and hoes, and sowed it with wheat. Most nobly did nature respond to this first call of the husbandman, and presented him in autumn with an abundant crop. The natives were induced to cultivate patches of their land, which they did with sharppointed pieces of wood; and, being supplied with seed, they also sowed them with wheat. The grain soon sprung up, and they had the happiness of seeing the corn in the ear; but, yielding to impatience, and believing that, like the potatoe, the wheat would be found in clusters at the root, they pulled up the whole crop. This total failure excited their surprise and disappointment. They were encouraged, however, to make another experiment, and