The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1849-11-17
New zeaiauders.

| can only say, that i never knew one
Of them guilty Of dishonesty, in any OF the
frequent dealings which | have had with
them, although | have often trusted them
with spirits, tobacco, and gunpowder, all
Of which they covet excessively. | always
found them good nstured, and very quick
at understanding the many new Offices
which they were called upon to perform
when employed by me. They are more
easily led than driven, and will always re-
sent blow if given in anger. think that
those who profess Christianity snow great
care in attending to the forms Of their re-
spective faiths, and are most sincere. The
only hypocrite ever met amongst them, on
a religious point, was John Heki. and he
frequently perverted the Scripture 10 suit
his own ends. His intimate knowledge OF
the Bible astonished me, making use Of
several lengthy quotations in my only in
terview with him; and on hearing that l
was the person who took old Rauparaha
prisoner, he sarcasticaliy asked me how
much the government gave me for taking
poor old man out OF his. hut when he was
asleep; and was not proud Of the achieve
ment? On my answering that did not
get much for this old chief. who was a brave
man, but, little as got for that, | would
take him for half the amount, as ne was
well-known coward--his people, who were
sitting round, laughed heartily at bis ex-
pense-a point on which all maories are
very sensitive. Nearly the whole Of his
tribe are missionaries, which is what the
natives call all Christians; but they are not
good examples TO take as showing the
success which has attended the missionaries
in this colony. lnbsbilng neighborhood
frequently visited by numerous ships en-
ployed in the whale fisheries and other
trades, the crews Of which have not i'm
proved the morals. or in any way assisted.
by their example or precePt, in lmPresslng
them with as favorable an opinion Of their
Christian brethren as they might have had,
if thrown amongst a steadier and better edu-
Gated class of men, has done much to undo
the little good they have ever learnt.
1t appears to me unaccountable, but it is
nevertheless true, that nearly the whole Of
the natives that took part with John Heki
against the government in the Bay Of Islands
were Protestants. and continued most strict
ly to attend to the forms Of their religion
throughout the war. They at the same
time showed some good feeling towards the
missionaries, by respecting their property
when they were destroying every one else's.
have observed, that where the natives had
little intercourse with Europeans except
the missionaries. not being in the habit OF
visiting the large settlements, or being near
the harbors frequented by European vessels,
they were always the best behaved; this
telling greatly in favor Of this much abused
body Of men.
The generality OF settlers are not aware
Of the impressions which their thoughless-
ness often make on the ignorant people,
who are very quick in detecting anything
in European, inconsistent with what they
have been told Christians ought to be-
They are very superstitious regarding the
rites to be attended 10 on the d eath Of q
chief-the keeping sacred the spot where
his remains are deposited. which is callet
tabu; any one, even through i ignorance
guilty Of intruding on any spot ander thi
kind Of interdict, is likely to suif " from II
even to the loss Of life. The pfincipa
chiefs hold the power Of tabuing a road
plantation. or any other place; 70 q instanc'