Narrative of the surveying voyages of his majesty's ships Adventure and Beagle (vol.2): between the years 1826 and 1836 : describing their examination of the southern shores of South America, and the Beagles's circumnavigation of the globe

566 FENCIJS— ILAG — ANCHORAGE. DeC. native habits than they yet deserve ; for the fences are fortifi- cations — defences against intruding men, not cattle. In a conspicuous solitary position, opposite to the entrance of Kororareka harbour, a single English house, without an- other building within a mile of it, nor any protection except that of a tall staff, on which waved the British Union-jack, presented a contrast to the fortified villages; and forcibly impressed one's mind with a conviction of the great influence already obtained over the formerly wild cannibals of New Zealand. The entrance to the harbour is narrow, even to the eye, but it is still more confined by shoal water. In entering or leav- ing it, a ship ought to keep close to Kororareka Point : after rounding that point, at the distance of a cable's length, the sheltered part of the port is seen, looking like the mouth of a navigable river. On the western side, the native village of Ko- rorareka, a straggling collection of low huts, strongly palisaded; on the eastern, three or four English houses, the head-quarters of the missionaries ; on the rising ground, near the water, far up the harbour, several more houses and villages — gave an appearance of population and successful exertion as sur- prising as satisfactory. Near a detached house of European form, a large white ensign excited our curiosity; and we found it was the flag of New Zealand ; differing only from the ensign of St. George in the upper ' canton,"" next the staff, where, instead of a Union-jack, there is a red cross on a blue field ; each quarter of the blue field being ' pierced' by a white star. We anchored between Kororareka and Paihia (the missionary settlement) : farther up the harbour were several whale-ships which had anchored there, I was told, in order to avoid the spirit-shops of Kororareka. From this anchorage the view on all sides is pleasing. An appearance of fertility every where meets the eye ; but there are no grand or very remarkable features. There is nothing in the outward character of the country corresponding to the ferocious sanguinary disposition of its aboriginal inhabitants. The British resident, some English settlers, and two of the