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Die Martis, 3° Aprilis 1838.
Evidence on the present State of the Islands of New Zealand.
The Earl of Devon in the Chair.
J. L. Nicholas, Esq.
John Liddiard Nicholas Esquire is called in, and examined as follows:
You have been in New Zealand, have you not?
- I accompanied the Reverend Samuel Marsden in the Year 1814 to New Zealand, when he established the first Church Missionary Settlement there.
How are you occupied now?
- I am in no Occupation.
You published an Account of New Zealand, did you not?
- I did.
How long did you stay there?
- We arrived in New Zealand the latter End of December 1814 and left it the latter End of February in the following Year; I was there about Ten Weeks.
Were you at that Time confined to one Spot, or did you move about?
- We coasted I suppose about 300 Miles, from the North Cape to the River Thames, and landed on various Parts of the Coast, and had Interviews with the different Chiefs, who were all very desirous, on its being explained to them what was the Object of the Mission, that Missionaries should be established amongst them.
Was that the first Mission that had ever gone there?
- Previously to our going to New Zealand Mr. Marsden had sent a Vessel with the Missionaries for them to judge for themselves whether they would like to remain in the Country ; for there was a very strong Prejudice at that Time in New South Wales against the New Zealanders, from the Circumstance of their having cut off a large Ship about Four Years before. The Missionaries on their Return expressed themselves so confident of the good Dispositions of the Natives that they determined upon settling among them. Mr. Marsden then resolved on establishing them in the Country, and on accompanying them himself for that Purpose. I was on Terms of Intimacy with Mr. Marsden, and he asked me to go with him.
You went from New South Wales?
- We did, to the Bay of Islands, where the first Missionary Establishment was settled.
Upon that Occasion had you Opportunities of forming any Judgment as to the Climate of the Place?
- We were there in the Middle of Summer, and nothing could exceed the Salubrity of the Climate, as it appeared to me, nor the Beauty of it.
Was the Heat then moderate?
- Very moderate. A Thermometer belonging to one of the Missionaries, as I was informed by him, never rose higher than 73 or 74, nor went below 64.
That was in the Month of January?
- From December to February.
Had you at that Time Intercourse with several native Chiefs?
- Frequent Intercourse. The first that we had was rather a singular one; it was before we arrived in the Bay of Islands; we were becalmed off the Coast,