During these years the New Zealanders, having had the worse propensities of their native character inflamed, were active in seizing ships and murdering their crews; among which, the Boyd at Whangaroa, the Agnes at Tokomaru, a whaler at Whanganui, and the Sydney Cove at South-east Cape, may be noticed. Every ship approaching the coast had boarding-nets for protection. Love of murder and greed for plunder stirred up the coast natives generally to be on the watch for prey; while the Europeans sometimes retaliated by shooting, or encouraging the shooting of “a race of treacherous cannibals.” In 1820, the two Ngapuhi chiefs, Hongi and Waikato, also visited England, returning to New Zealand the following year. Hongi brought back with him a large amount of arms and ammunition, which enabled him and his allies to commit much wholesale slaughter. The Ngapuhi (or Bay of Islands) tribes, being well armed with muskets, revelled in destruction, slaying thousands,—at Kapaira, Manukau, Tamaki, the Thames, the interior of Waikato on to Rotorua, and even to Taranaki; and they also came in their canoes so far south as Ahuriri in Hawke's Bay, remorselessly destroying everywhere as they went. Not content with this, they subsequently turned their arms against themselves, and the tribes in their neighbourhood, where eventually Hongi himself received the wound which caused his death. The tribes further north were also fighting against each other; only ending in the Rarawa destroying the Aopouri, who were very numerous about the North Cape. Te Wherowhero at the head of his people was slaughtering for many years on the west coast, from Taranaki to Whanganui and Entry Island: Te Waharoa, and other chiefs, in the interior, and overland to Hawke's Bay: the Rotorua tribes in the Bay of Plenty; and Te Rauparaha exterminating in the neighbourhood of Cook's Straits, and along the east coast of the Middle Island! From 1822 to 1837, was truly a fearful period in New Zealand. Blood flowed like water. There can be little doubt, that the numbers killed by the New Zealanders, in their many sanguinary battles and surprises during this period of forty years; throughout all the New Zealand Islands,—together with those who also perished in consequence thereof, far exceeds 60,000 persons. Nothing is more erroneous than to suppose, that the introduction of firearms made their wars less sanguinary. Such a view is a very partial and mistaken one, and only made by those who have not had the opportunities of knowing the truth. During the last three years, however, of this period, there was very much less fighting than in any three previous years of the same; and missionaries and instruction, commerce and trade, became daily more valuable in their eyes. Several New Zealanders early became very good sawyers and carpenters; in 1836, a few made excellent window-sashes, dove-tailed boxes, and even cedar writing-desks; while (at least) one, whom the writer knew, was, in 1835, the mate of a whaler, and was very much liked as an officer.

61. From a.d. 1840 to the present time, 1865.—During this quarter of a century the natives as a race have become nominally Christian. From 1840 to 1852, they eagerly sought for Christian and other instruction; often submitting to great privations and hardships in seeking after it. They also cultivated wheat, etc., very largely, increasing in quantity every year; although in 1845, and again in 1846, small portions of them were fighting against the Government. Hitherto, however, they have

been written of as they were; now they will have to be considered as they are. They have sought for and obtained everything the European could bring; but while they became rich in foreign, they became poor in domestic, wealth. Yearly more and more idle, and discontented, and careless in Christian observances, in schools and in morals. In 1854, they formed an anti-land-selling league, and soon after set up one of themselves as “King”! Their houses are now wretched huts; their canoes are almost entirely gone; their far-famed and useful nets they have ceased to make; and their cultivations, even of their own esteemed roots, are not of one-eighth the extent they formerly were. Their few children (baptized) are growing up in idleness, without being taught to read and write,—though mostly clothed and sometimes gaudily dressed in European costume; their drunkenness, idleness, and greediness, is painfully increasing; and many bad habits, formerly unknown, have been acquired, and, like the introduced weeds, grow luxuriantly. It cannot be denied that in many places, the savage has been spoiled, and the civilized man is not yet formed. And how to do this is a very difficult task; seeing, that from the very beginning, the New Zealanders have ever had the fatal quality, or fatality, of turning honey to gall—of drawing ill from every good thing. Many of them are now engaged in a murderous war against their best friends, the Colonists; in which war, began in 1860, upwards of 1000 have already perished.—While, to crown the whole, or to accelerate “the evil day” for their race, they have largely consented to abandon Christianity, and again to take up with a disgusting heathenish fanaticism in its stead!

62. It has been stated in this Essay, that the natives were formerly in great numbers; this is true, but it may need explanation. They were formerly in great numbers, (1) considering the area which they inhabited; and (2) comparing their former, with the present sparse, population. Whether they were numerically more when Tasman discovered them (1642) than they were when Cook first saw them (1769) is perhaps beyond our research. The writer, however, is inclined to believe, they were many more in number at the time of Tasman's visit, than they were at the time of Cook's—at least in the Middle Island. This, he thinks, may reasonably be inferred from the two following facts:—(1.) The natives coming off to attack Tasman's ships “in eight canoes;” and immediately after, on seeing him under sail, to follow him “with twenty-two more boats put off from the shore;”—these latter were double canoes. And (2) the men in them, (Tasman says,) “wore their hair tied up on the crown of the head, like the Japanese, each having a large white feather stuck upright in it,”—a sure sign they were chiefs or free men. Although Cook was, subsequently, several times at anchor in that very neighbourhood, he never saw there anything like such a number of natives, canoes, or “boats;” nor could he obtain any traditionary information respecting Tasman's visit—a highly pregnant fact. Dr. Forster, who accompanied Cook on his second voyage, supposed the population to be 100,000; although he never saw any of the populous parts of the North Island. Since when, down to 1840, it has been variously estimated, at, from 150,000 (by Nicholas in 1814) to 80,000. Forster's estimate is believed (by the writer) to have been too low; because Cook himself, in all his voyages, only saw the natives

who were inhabiting a portion of the sea-coast, and in particular those spots where he anchored. He saw none on the whole west coast of the North Island, which he therefore believed to be uninhabited! and, of course, none of the numerous tribes inhabiting the interior.—In 1834, the Missionaries had very good data for believing, that, from the Bay of Islands northwards, there were 7000 fighting men; are there more than one-seventh of that number to be found there now belonging to those tribes? In 1847–8, the writer of this Essay, collected, with much pains and care, an exact census of the natives living between Wairarapa and Ahuriri (Hawke's Bay) inclusive; going to every village, and seeing every individual native himself (and this two or three times); their number then amounted to 3704 persons, divided among forty-five ascertained tribes and sub-tribes. At present (leaving out the immigrant natives since arrived, from Manawatu, Waikato, Taupo, and the Bay of Islands, and also strangers), the population of the same district is under 2000,—or less than two-thirds of what they were seventeen years ago. Children are every year becoming fewer. Marriages are rarely fruitful. The seven principal Chiefs of Ahuriri (including Te Moananui, lately deceased), are all without children, with the exception of Te Hapuku; and of four of his sons married, three are still childless. Mr. Fenton, from an accurate census^* of a portion of certain tribes in the Waikato district, has clearly shown, that the decrease among them in fourteen years (1844–1858), was at the rate of 19 per cent. Another table,* also compiled by Mr. Fenton, showing the numbers of the natives of the Colony of New Zealand in 1858, gives the following:—

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Unfortunately at the present time there is no means of accurately showing the difference on the whole of New Zealand; still this may be done for certain isolated districts.—

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With the exception of the Return for Otago and Southland, and also that for Chatham Islands, the foregoing can scarcely be depended on; owing to the vagueness of the Whanganui Return, the “incompleteness” of the Rotorua one, and the recent numbers in the Nelson one, being only estimated by Mr. Mackay. The Return for Otago and Southland (which appears to have been each time very accurately and satisfactorily taken,—in 1852 by Mr. Mantell, and in 1864 by Mr. Clarke), shows the greatest decrease! but here it should be noticed, that the last Return (1864) also shows 125 half-castes,—i.e. 72 males and 53 females; of which, some probably had not been included by Mr. Mantell in 1852. Mr. Seed accompanies his Chatham Islands Return with the following remarks:—“From this Return it will be seen the natives must be rapidly on the decline. At Kaingaroa and the adjacent villages, 34, nearly all adults, have died since 1856, and only 17 have been born in the same period. Several years ago the Bishop of New Zealand took a list similar to the one I obtained, and then the natives, I am told, numbered over a thousand.”—It may reasonably be doubted whether the whole Maori population at present number 50,000. Appended is a table, copied, by the writer, from recent official documents in the House of Representatives,—showing the numbers of the natives, the principal tribes, tribal boundaries, and geographical position in the North Island; it can scarcely, however, be wholly relied on for perfect accuracy, yet, in all its main features is correct.

63. The Causes of their very rapid Decrease might here be properly shown, but such can only be done very briefly. The writer believes, that many separate causes have all combined to bring about this sad state of things; not a few of which are nearly or wholly unknown to, or overlooked by, those who have hitherto written on Maori statistics.—(1.) Their own prevailing strong propensities, implacability, and revenge; hence their love of war, murder, and pillage;—in their exterminating wars, mercy was never shown, the helpless and (to the victors) valueless were struck down and slain in heaps. Besides the actual slaughter, they were always wearing themselves out, in preparing arms and building

forts on high hills; or, more lately, in working day and night to obtain flax, etc., wherewith to purchase firearms, and in building new forts on low lands. In this half harrassed state many children and weak persons perished through want of proper rest, care, and food. (2.) The increasing number of small tribes also increased their feuds. (3.) Their immorality with foreigners, especially shipping. (4.) Consequent infanticide (before birth, fœticide), and sterility, to an extent which no writer has yet correctly conceived. (5.) Sorcery. (6.) New diseases, especially epidemics, including the rewharewha of 45 years back, the measles, hooping-cough, influenza, etc. (7.) The unlimited use of tobacco, and its many substitutes, and its many attendant evils,—especially by the young and females. (8.) Carelessness,—as to regular food, and wet thin clothing, bringing on early disease and death. (9.) Their exposing themselves in serving and working hard for others; whether in whale ships at sea, whalers on shore, missionaries, settlers, etc. (10.) Their laboring beyond their strength in their greed after European goods, to the continual neglect of themselves;—in scraping flax, and in raising potatoes, wheat, etc., for sale to Europeans, and their bringing the same, with much labour, difficulty, and exposure, to market. (11.) Their selling all their best, including all their tame pigs, and keeping only the refuse food for themselves, being stimulated therto by the price given. (12.) The introduction and rapid increase of the horse (strange as it may appear) has certainly been very injurious to the native, through their abuse of that noble animal; it proving a great means of calling them constantly, away from their homes and cultivations, especially the young and strong (thereby leaving the work to be done by the old and weak), tending to habits of idleness, wandering, and dissipation, and of consequent exposure to hunger and wet in travelling about; and of want, etc., at home. (13.) Many minor causes attendant upon their transition state and the incoming of the settler,—such as, the abandoning of their own rough and dry flax garments for the thin European ones,—frequent exposure to bad weather, sleeping in wet garments, and often in cold damp houses,—going in crowds to a distance to large gatherings (whether of their own, or of the Europeans—Mission or Government), to see new arrivals, or things, etc., etc., and there badly provided for, and always much suffering in, and after, returning to their homes. The writer has long been convinced, that the amount of mortality arising from the causes mentioned under heads 7—13 has been truly frightful—stealthy, unnoticed, and slow, but ever sure.

64. Apart from their numerical decrease, is the great Decline of their Power and Influence,—whether we consider the race, or a tribe, a family, or a single chief;—and that not only among Europeans, but also among themselves. This has, in a measure, been caused by their decrease in numbers, but not wholly or mainly so. The sudden termination of polygamy, slavery, and the taboo (tapu) system, without any things to replace the last two, has been the chief causes of their decline as a people in status and influence. Had some comprehensive mind early arrived in New Zealand, to point out to the first Missionaries the sure consequence of the utter and sudden removal of what then upheld the tribes and nation,—unless renewed with something equally strong and equally suitable,—more cautious and better adapted means for preserving