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

1835. POLITICAL CONDITION — RELICS. 609 tlie secondary chiefs are there called ; and each of those so styled is really a person possessing a considerable estate^, and having influence over his neighbours. There can be little doubt that originally the words were alike ; or rather there was but one word which expressed either ' freeman"' or ' privileged per- son ;'' and that the first people of New Zealand were animated by the spirit of equality and apparent liberty, which is seen to prevail in most colonies. Is not this the natural spirit of an association of adventurers, whose objects are similar, whose origin, individually, as to birth and place in the parental society does not differ much — if it does, the diiference is unnoticed when not upheld by accidental circumstances — and whose pro- perty is very similar ? Democratic, essentially democratic, is the present political state of the New Zealanders ; and one cannot help pitying their short-sightedness in exposing themselves to the caprice and dis- sensions of the many who obtain temporary influence, and to the wars, harsh slavery — for in the heathen districts the life of a slave depends upon the caprice of his master — and dreadful consequences. But this shocking existence, so utterly repug- nant to our ideas of happiness, excited and still excites the New Zealander to animal enjoyments, and a sort of pleasure resulting from the gratification of his horrible propensities which is almost incomprehensible to us, however intelligible it may have been to our earlier ancestors. Do not let us entirely forget the painted savages who opposed Caesar — or the sacri- fices of the Druids Some of the Zealanders have amulets and other similar trifles hung around their necks. Small uncouth images, much like the Burmese or Chinese 'josses,' formed out of a very hard stone ('jade'.?), are so highly prized by them that they are, generally speaking, very reluctant to part with any. I got one from the daughter of Shunghi, but could not obtain a second, though she had several. I was told that they value them as hereditary relics, as well as supposed charms. Many nations, even at the present day, put faith in relics, some more especially in such as have a word or words vipon VOL. II. 9 R