A Narrative of a Nine Months' Residence in New Zealand in 1827Earle, Augustus
History
A Narrative of a Nine Months' Residence in New Zealand in 1827
Earle, Augustus
New Zealand -- Description and travel
Nothing could exceed the delight manifested by our New Zealanders as we
sailed up Port Jackson harbour; but, above all, the windmills most
astonished them. After dancing and screaming with joy at beholding them,
they came running and asking me "if they were not gods." I found they
were inclined to attach that sacred appellation to most things they could
not understand; they did so when they first became possessed of their
muskets, and actually worshipped them, until they discovered how soon
they got out of repair, and then, notwithstanding all the prayers they
could bestow upon them, they would not mend again of their own accord.
Our Chief from the Thames, who had a great idea of his own dignity,
commenced adorning his person, as he felt convinced the Governor would
instantly grant him an audience when he came on shore. All our lamps were
emptied to add a more beautiful gloss to his hair and complexion; his
whole stock of feathers and bones were arranged to the greatest
advantage. He at length became quite enraged when he found that he was
allowed to sit two days on our deck, amongst all manner of dirty porters
and sailors, without either being visited or sent for; and he was loud in
his reproaches to us for having deceived him. We certainly were to blame
in having induced him to believe we had any influence with the Governor,
for however politic we (who had lived in New Zealand) might think it, to
pay some attentions to these simple savages, his Excellency,
unfortunately, thought otherwise; and though the Chief, attended by his
followers, used to sit in the verandah at Government House from morning
till night, the Governor never once deigned to speak to them, and they
were, in consequence, constantly coming to me with complaints. At length
they told me that unless they obtained an audience from our Chief they
should consider it so great an insult that they would revenge it upon all
the Europeans they could get into their power; and I, well knowing that
several families were settled in that part of the country wherein this
man was Chief, thought it my duty to let the Governor know, that, however
he might dislike their manners and appearance, it might lead to some
serious calamity, if he continued to refuse to give them an audience.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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