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Historical Records of New Zealand South

Menaced By Foreign Powers

Menaced By Foreign Powers.

Hobart Town Courier of March 26, 1831, has an article on the desirableness of forming a British settlement at New Zealand. Although we last year entered into this question at considerable length, yet the peculiar interest it at this moment possesses with our mercantile readers induces us to turn to it once again. The Courier states that a memorial "from the gentlemen connected with the whale fishery in this and the sister colony was about to be laid before the Secretary of State for the Colonies, calling the attention of the Home Government to the present state of New Zealand, and pointing out the propriety of speedily forming a British settlement on that very desirable territory." But whether from Sydney or Hobart Town, or both, we rejoice such a document is in training, and we hope it will be so far successful as to draw the attention of Ministers to a subject of such great and increasing importance to these colonies. The Courier adverts to the fact on which we laid so much stress in our former articles, as an extra reason for some prompt and decisive measure—namely, that "at this moment the chief nations of Europe, especially the French, the Russians, and the Dutch, are anxiously looking out for a convenient spot on which they may plant a colony." The fact is well known. Why none of these nations has as yet planted its standard upon the neutral shores of those attractive isles it is not perhaps difficult to conjecture. The warlike habits f their proprietors, the predilection in favour of the British which, it was natural to suppose, had been long established among them by our missionaries and traders, and the near neighbourhood of the English settlements of New South Wales and Van Dieman's Land, may hitherto have been sufficient to keep off foreign intruders. Nor do we think these obstacles (the first two at least) could foe surmounted. No people, whether savage or civilised, are more [unclear: enacious] of their own dignity than the New Zealanders. The page 50very thought of oppression fires them with rage, nor could any coercive means, short of extermination (which would of itself be physcially impossible), subject their territory to a foreign dominion. But, indeed, no European Power would be so fool-hardy as to meditate an invasion of this nature. They would attempt it by mild expedients. But the British being already on the spot, the first step towards stratagem would be instantly exposed, and indignantly repelled by the jealous natives. For any foreign interference with the northern island, the present seat of our commerce and our missions, we have therefore no apprehension. We have there got the start—we have a firm, because a friendly footing—and, so long as we retain the confidence of the natives, no rival can displace us. But the southern island is, according to all accounts, very differently circumstanced. Though by far the larger of the two, it is said to be thinly inhabited, and by a less valorous race than its neighbours. We have there no locus, but are as much strangers to the straggling and scanty tribes as are the Russians, the French, or the Dutch. And were any of those Powers to pounce suddenly upon the more southern coasts, they might perchance get a firm hold before we knew anything of the affair. The journal we have just quoted affirms that the South Island is not at present appropriated as the right of any particular chief. If so, the conclusion suggested by the fact is quite as favourable to foreigners as to ourselves, and the danger of delay the more obvious and urgent. The Courier informs us that it has been "ascertained by several gentlemen of intelligence who have lately visited these interesting islands, and spent some considerable time upon them, with a view of acquiring a knowledge of their resources and capabilities, that their total population at the present time may be estimated at the enormous amount of two millions, number which has been increased from the less sanguinary results of battles since the introduction of firearms among them." This is a large guess, and we should think much above the mark. It is sufficient, however, to know that the population of our New Zealand (id est. the northern, isle) is not only numerous, but condensed and organised, fearfully capable of resisting aggression and avenging wrong. Whilst this should teach the Government to proceed with the utmost gentleness and good faith in any advances towards alliance, it should also teach our traders to avoid every cause of dissatisfaction among the tribes with which they barter. The traffic in heads must be given up. Some few of the natives may be so treacherous to their kind as to engage in it without reluctance; but from all we know of their general character, we are convinced that to at least nine-tenths it is most odious and insulting. Deceased kindred and friends are with them the objects of veneration, and even supposing the heads bought and sold to be those of the very lowest of the people, the lowest have their friends and relatives as well as the highest, and sooner or later the horrid trade will bring on some fatal convulsion. The signs of indignation are already exhibited, for we are told by the Government Order now publishing that "application has been specially made to his Excellency" for the restoration of the heads recently taken from the island. This ought to alarm our traders, and induce them to relinquish a practice so brutal, so revolting to the best feeling of our nature, and so full of peril to a lucrative and most promising commerce. The publication of this Order will, we doubt not, have a tranquillizing effect upon the natives, for it is sure to be made extensively known among them through the medium of the missionaries and their converts; but it will also have another effect—if the traffic be persisted in, they will know that it is as offensive to the Englishman's own Government as to themselves, and will, on that account, the more fiercely take revenge in their own way. We hope and trust the Sydney merchants will "one and all" do their utmost to avert these pending dangers. We cannot do better than close these remarks with a quotation from our intelligent contemporary:—"Nothing is more evident than that New Zealand must, at no distant period, form an integral and productive part of the immense Australian Empire, or, if possessed by some rival Power, will become the lasting bone of destructive contention."— Sydney Gazette, April 21, 1831.

page 51

An MS. in Tasmania Royal Society Museum relates that, during the year 1832, there were two French ships in these waters—namely, the Geographe and Naturaliste; and, although nothing in the shape of frank admission was made to that effect, the proceedings were sufficiently suspicious to point to the conclusion, colonisation, and the planting of French colonies was aimed at in eventuality. Apropos thereof, the Tasmanian relates that in 1832 there was in Port Jackson a little armed schooner, named the Cumberland, 29 tons burden, which was built at Sydney for the purpose of pursuing runaways. This little craft was hastily prepared for sea, to checkmate the rumoured French designs brought to light within a, few hours of the departure of the French expeditionary ships Geographe and Naturaliste. A crew was selected, with Lieutenant Charles Robins in command. He was provided with two sets of instructions. He was to proceed to Storm Bay passage with all convenient speed. If delayed by southerly weather, he was to go to King's Island and Port Phillip, examine the same, proceeding to Southern Tasmania on the first favourable opportunity. He was to hoist the English flag whenever on shore, placing a guard at each place to turn up the ground and sow seeds. Captain Robins was further charged with a letter from Governor King to the French commander, if he should happen to overtake him in Cook Straits, and he received most precise instructions respecting the action he was to take to assert English rights if the French ventured upon infringing them.

A report having been current, we believe, without any foundation, that the French contemplated taking possession of New Zealand, thirteen of the chiefs addressed the following letter to the King of England, soliciting his interference, to prevent such an occurrence:

"To King William, the Gracious Chief of England.

"King William,—

"We, the chiefs of New Zealand, assembled at this place, called Kerikeri, write to thee, for we hear that thou art the great chief on the other side of the water, since the many ships which come to our land belong to thee. We are a people without property. We have nothing but timber, flax, pork, and potatoes. We sell these things, however, to your people, and then they see the property of the Europeans. It is only the land which is liberal to us. From thee also come the missionaries, who teach us to believe in Jehovah God, and in Jesus Christ his Son. We have heard that the tribe of Marion (the French) is at hand, coming to take away our land; therefore we pray thee to become our friend, and the guardian of these islands; lest the rearing of other tribes should come near to us, and lest strangers should come and take away our land. And if the people be troublesome or vicious towards us, for some persons are living here who have run away from ships, we pray thee to be angry with them, lest the anger of the people fall upon them. This letter is from us, the chiefs of the natives of New Zealand—Warahi, Rua, Patuona, Nene, Ke Keao, Tetore, Temorengi, Ripi, Hara, Atuahere, Moitari, Matagni, Taunui."—Hobart Town Courier, March 29, 1838.