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

576 BRITISH RESIDE-NT VINES — KORORAREKA. DeC. Resident,' at his house (protected by the flag, as I have already mentioned) occupied Mr. Darwin and myself some time. Like most of the missionary dwellings, it is a temporary boarded cottage, intended only for present purposes. Mr. Busby was taking great pains with his garden ; and among other plants he anticipated that vines would flourish. Those at Waitangi (the name of his place) are favoured by climate, as well as by the superintendance of a person who so thoroughly understands their culture. At a future day not only New Zealand, but Van Diemen's Land, and all New Holland, will acknowledge the obligation conferred upon them by this gentleman, who made a long and troublesome journey through France and Spain solely for the purpose of collecting vines for Australia^ his adopted country. Mr. Busby's official occupations at New Zealand appeared +o me of a very neutral character. An isolated individual, not having even the authority of a magistrate, encircled by savages, and by a most troublesome class of his own country- men, I was not astonished at his anxiety to receive definite instructions, and substantial support ; or at the numerous com- plaints continually made by the English settlers. Afterwards we went to Kororareka. On a sandy level, nar- rowly bounded by a low range of hills, or rather rising grounds, stands the principal assemblage of houses in the island ; or as the missionaries say, ' in the land'. I have said assemblage of houses, because it did not agree with my ideas of a town, a village, a hamlet, or even an Indian encampment. Near the beach were a few small cottages which had once been white- washed. At the foot of the hills were two or three small houses of European build ; but tlie remaining space of ground ap- peared to be covered by palings, and pig-styes. The tempo- rary enclosures which are made in a market-place, for cattle, might give an idea of the appearance of these sadly wretched dwelling places. The palings, or palisades, are intended to be fortifications : they are high, sometimes eight or ten feet ; and, almost encircling the whole, a stronger palisade is fixed, but so inefficiently that either strength, an axe, or fire, would ensure 1