before they reached her, and no suspicion being entertained of what had happened, the second officer hailed the boats, and was answered by the villains who had occasioned the disaster, that the Captain having chosen to remain on shore that night for the purpose of viewing the country, had ordered them to take on board such spars as had already been procured; which account readily obtained belief, and the officer was knocked down and killed by those who first ascended the ship's side. All the seamen of the watch were in like manner surprised and murdered. Some of the assassins then went down to the cabin door, and asked the passengers and others to go on deck to see the spars, and a female passenger obeying the summons was killed on the cabin ladder. The noise occasioned by her fall alarmed the people who were in bed; who running on deck in disorder, were all killed as they went up, except four or five, who ran up the shrouds, and remained in the rigging the rest of the night. The next morning Tippahee appeared along side in a canoe, and was much offended at what had happened; but was not permitted to interfere, or to remain near the ship. The unfortunate men in the rigging called to him, and implored his protection; of which be assured them, if they could make their way to his canoe. This they effected at every hazard; and were by the old king landed on the nearest point, though closely pursued. The pursuit was continued on shore; they were all overtaken, and Tippahee was forcibly held while the murder of the unhappy fugitives was perpetrated. A female passenger and two children, who were afterwards found in the cabin, were spared from the massacre, and taken on shore to a hut, in which situation Mr. BERRY and Captain PATTISON, of the city of Edinburgh, found them when they rescued them. Tippahee was afterwards permitted by the Whangarooans to take three boat-loads of any property he chose out of the ship, fire-arms and gun-powder excepted; and the bulk they divided among themselves.-The salt provisions, flour, and spirits they threw overboard, as unpalatable; the carriage guns they did the same with, considering them useless; the muskets they prized very much; and one of the savages, in his eagerness to try one, stove in the head of a barrel of powder, and filling the pan of the piece, snapped it directly over the cask, the explosion of which killed five native women, and eight or nine men, and set part of the ship on fire. From the foregoing detail, it appears that neither Tippahee nor his son Mytye had any share in the barbarous acts committed by those san

guinary miscreants; but that the old chief bad, on the contrary, endeavoured to preserve the lives of several of the crew; and if we consider the order in which the incidents are narrated, we must at least conclude this to be the most probable account received of the doleful event before us; and the more especially so, as it is the report of an Otaheitan, who was on the spot at the time, and who, as an alien, not being interested on the part of either the Bay of Islanders or of the Whangarooans, may still more be entitled to credit. In the principal facts, alas! all accounts unhappily coincide; and, while we have to deplore the calamity, we cannot forbear expressing a hope that the commanders and crews of vessels traversing these seas will temper friendship and humanity towards the uncivilized Islanders with prudence and caution."

From the above narrative of this dreadful transaction it appears, that the sole cause of the brutal rage of these uncivilized men arose from the ill treatment which the New Zea landers on board the vessel had experienced during the

voyage.

In the Appendix to the last Report of the Society for Missions to Africa and the East, is a most interesting account of New Zealand, obtained by the Rev. S. Marsden, from Duaterra, a young chief of that Island, from which it appears "that New Zealand is governed by a number of chiefs, each of whom appears independent within the limits of his own district. Some of them possess a much larger extent of coun try, and a greater number of subjects, than others. Their families intermarry very much one with another. These marriages tend to unite them together, and promote their general peace and welfare.

"The following are the names of the principal chiefs, who are known to our friend Duaterra, and who govern the northern parts of New Zealand. These, he tells me, have no wars amongst themselves but sometimes go to war with more distant chiefs, who live about six or seven days' journey from their districts.

"Moca, Kaingroha,

Shinghee,

:

These are five brothers, and are uncles to Duaterra, his mother being their sister. Moca is the greatest chief: he possesses a large extent of country, and has more than 10,000 men at his command: his subjects are principally employed in the cultiva tion of sweet and common potatoes; and in clearing new

Howhowkee,
Repuro.

lands, making mats for clothing, building houses, &c. &c. as he lives in the interior.

"Tippahee, Caparoo, Tippepiphee Tüllueera.

" Warruke oppee. }

These are four brothers, and three of them uncles to Duaterra; Caparoo being his father.

These two are brother chiefs: Duaterra married the daughter of

Warrakee: her name is Mike.

" Terra,

Tuphoo, }

Are brother chiefs. Terra is blind of one eye his district abounds with fine timber; and is situated on the banks of a fresh water river, which makes it very convenient for him to supply ships with timber, when they touch there.

Ogateeree is another chief, and brother to Duaterra: he will succeed his uncle Tippahee when he dies. I asked Duaterra why Tippalee's sons did not succeed their father: he told me, they were too young to know how to govern. Ogateeree will take the name of Tippahee, when he assumes the government: should Ogateeree die, Duaterra will succeed Tippahee. It appears to be the custom, for the person who succeeds to the command of a district, to take the name of his predecessor: he then becomes heir of all his lands and vassals, and of whatever the former chief was possessed at the time of his death."

The New Zealanders are a fine race of men; it is true that they must be ranked as savages of the lowest description, being cannibals, but it appears that they possess strong intellectual capacities, and are desirous to emerge from their state of barbarism of this disposition Mr. Marsden has given the following interesting particulars.

:

"From the general character of the natives, their habits of industry, and their anxious wish to improve in useful knowledge, I am fully convinced that they would soon be come a great nation, if the arts could be introduced among them, without the ruinous vices and prevalent diseases of civilized society. Such a spirit of enquiry and bold enter prize has manifested itself in Tippahee, Ögateeree, Duaterra, and one or two more of their chiefs, for the improvement of their country, that they will not rest satisfied till the arts of civilization are more or less introduced among their people.

"When Tippahee was at Paramatta, previous to my leav ing Port Jackson, about three years ago, I took him to a small

rope walk, and had a fishing-line made while he stood by ; he wept much when he saw how soon it was spun, and told me "New Zealand was no good."

"Duaterra seems to be equally affected with our superior knowledge; and often tells me, New Zealand man does not know how to make this and the other article. He is much gratified with the idea of the missionaries who are on board, going with him to New Zealand, as from them he expects that both himself and his countrymen will learn some useful arts. He says, the missionaries shall not work, but only shew his men and mark out what they are to do. I have no doubt but the New Zealanders will make great progress in learning every thing they have an opportunity of knowing. Duaterra has learned to sole and mend shoes, and has a few shoe-maker's tools in his box, which some person has given him, and on which he places great value."

This desire for gaining knowledge has lately induced several of the sons of chiefs to trust themselves on board of European vessels, in order that they may see the improved state of society in the countries belonging to the men who can navigate the ocean. Captains take advantage of this desire, and by alluring promises get these people into their service, who, from their dexterity in managing their canoes, &c. soon become good seamen; and as they have no idea of asking wages for their labour, a vessel may be in part manned with sailors, whom the captain only has to clothe and feed; and thus many of the ships of the South Seas have been navigated, on the principles of slavery, exactly similar to those on which the lands in the West Indies have been cultivated.

A case of this description was lately investigated in London, by some gentlemen with whom we are acquainted. It concerned an Otaheitan of the name of Tomma, who had been trepanned by a captain for the seal fishery, in which service he had worked, and remained on board the ship near two years and a half; after which, when the ship arrived in London, and the British seamen were paid their wages, the Otaheitan asked also for money, which was refused by the captain, on the ground that there was none due to him; but promised he should have some new clothes, and be taken back to Otaheite. Some of the sailors were so struck at this injustice, that they determined to put him into a way of obtaining something for his labour; and as the most proper mode, they referred the man to a society which was professedly established for the benefit of the inhabitants of the South Seas.

However, by the directors of that society, this poor man's case was wholly neglected; when it was taken up in a spirited manner by some other persons, who had before acted as a committee on behalf of Tapeoe, a neglected Otaheitan, and who felt that it was requisite to assert the claims of this man, in order in future to secure to those defenceless people a just reward for their labour." For the whole details of this case we refer to the publication, in which it is given at length ;* but that we may give a proof of the base policy on which some of the traders to the South Seas have acted, we make the following extract.

"Two of the Committee called on Mr. (a merchant, the agent for the ship) who stated, that the man could alone be settled with according to the agreement made in his articles with the captain; to which it was replied, that the man said he had made his agreement verbally with the owners at Port Jackson, and that, as he could neither read nor write, it was not in his power to comprehend the nature of articles. "Mr. -- then made an appointment for another interview, and requested that Tomma should also attend. "At this meeting, three of Tapeoe's committee being present, Mr. examined Tomma as to various particulars concerning the voyage; who replied most circumstantially, and gave in the most artless manner, such an account of every thing, that convinced Mr. that he must have been with the vessel and the crew during the whole voyage and fishery.

to pay

"The committee then requested Mr. Tomma the smallest sum which any sailor on board the ship had received. To this he objected, stating, as he was only agent, and not owner, and as no written articles existed, he could not pay him any thing. The committee replied, that they conceived, that as agent he stood in the place of the owners; that they believed that it had been ascertained by a suit in Court, that if any man could bring proof of his having been in a ship's service, that articles were not necessary for the receiving of common wages, only for such shares of the cargo, which the men often agreed to take.

Mr. then asserted, that quite sufficient was done for these people, if they were clothed and fitted out for another voyage, and be carried back to their native island; he had done so for the New Zealander, and would only act in

* An Appeal to the Missionary Society, by Joseph Fox.-Darton and Harvey.-Second Edition.