The Treaty of Waitangi; or, how New Zealand became a British ColonyBuick, Thomas Lindsay
History
The Treaty of Waitangi; or, how New Zealand became a British Colony
Buick, Thomas Lindsay
New Zealand -- Politics and government; Treaty of Waitangi (1840)
3. _Kororareka_: _Korora-reka_, means Sweet-penguin. This
has remained its favourite name, and it originated in the following
incident: An old high chief lay here dying. He expressed a wish to
taste a little of the penguin bird before dying. Now this bird is a
rarity in those waters. So many young men of the tribe went off in
their canoes and scoured the headlands, isles, and islets for miles
around the Bay. At length two young men were fortunate enough to
discover a penguin, a real _Korora_, or blue penguin, which they
managed to capture. They hastened back with their catch, and the bird
was feathered and cleaned and boiled in the ancient manner of boiling.
This was to place the bird in a deep wooden bowl, cover it well with
water, and keep that water boiling by dropping red-hot stones in it
from an oven by its side.
The bird being cooked in this way was served up to the old chief, but
being unable to chew or to eat any portion he begged for a little of
the water (soup) in which it had been boiled. This was brought to him,
and having been assisted to a partially seated position he drank some
of the "soup," after which he sank back on his pillow, murmured:
"_Ka reka te Korora_" and immediately expired. Now, _Ka reka te
Korora_, means: How _sweet_ is the Penguin.
CHAPTER IV
THE MAORI MAGNA CHARTA
So soon as the _Herald_ was come to anchor she was boarded by Mr.
Busby and three of the resident Missionaries, from whom Captain Hobson
learned that his apprehensions regarding French occupancy were
groundless, the tricolour on the hill indicating no more than the
whereabouts of Bishop Pompallier's church. One of the visitors who had
come thus early to pay his respects to the new Governor was Mr.
Colenso, with whom Captain Hobson entered into an arrangement for the
printing, at the press of the Church Missionary Society, of circular
letters inviting the chiefs to meet him at Mr. Busby's residence at
Waitangi on the following Wednesday, for the purpose of discussing the
proposals of the British Government; and to all the British residents
requesting their presence at the Mission church at Kororareka on the
following day, there to hear Her Majesty's Commission under the Great
Seal, extending the limits of the colony of New South Wales, and also
Her Majesty's Commission under the Royal signet and Sign manual,
appointing Captain Hobson as Lieutenant-Governor over such part of
that colony as might be acquired in Sovereignty in New Zealand. These
invitations were in circulation on the following morning, messengers
being despatched to inform the chiefs, while the European residents
perused the notice issued to them with marked interest and mixed
feelings. During the afternoon Captain Hobson, accompanied by Captain
Nias and his officers, landed on the Kororareka beach, and walking to
the church there read his Letters Patent in the presence of the
assembled people, forty of whom so far signified their approval of the
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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