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

590 MR. BUSBY MEASURES SCHEME. DeC. to show what anarchy has been caused in this country, by the partial, half measures, which have been taken, I will try to describe the state of things, at the Bay of Islands, as we found them. I will not attempt to give the slightest sketch of events which had occurred anterior to the Beagle's visit, full and authentic details being accessible in other publications ; farther than to say that the rumoured approach of de ThieiTy had stimulated Mr. Busby (liolding the undefined office of British resident) to take measures adverse to such foreign intruders, by issuing a public announcement,* and by calhng together the principal chiefs of tribes inhabiting the districts of New Zealand, north of the Thames, with a view of urging them to frame a sort of constitution ,-f- which should have a steady- ing influence over their unwieldy democracy, and leave them less exposed to foreign intrusion. Thus much had been done bywords and on paper; the chiefs had departed, each to his perhaps distant home, and the efficiency of their authority, in a ' collective capacity' was yet to be discovered. No ' executive ' had been organized ; the former authorities — each chief in his own territory — hesitated to act as they had been accustomed, owing to a vague mysti- fication of ideas, and uncertainty as to what they really had agreed upon, while the authority of Mr. Busby was absolutely nothing, not even that of a magistrate among his own coun- trymen ; so of course he could have no power over the natives. To whom then were the daily squabbles of so mixed and tur- bulent a population, as that of the Bay of Islands and its vici- nity, to be referred ? Late events had impressed the natives with such a high idea of King William's men-of-war, that even the little Beagle was respected by them, and, in consequence, appeals were made to me — by natives, by men of the United States of America, • Appendix, No. 35. t A copy of the constitution, or form of government, decided upon at a meeting of all the chiefs of the northern districts (excepting two or three of minor consequence), is in the Appendix, No. 36.