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. PUKCHASE INFLUENCE. 617 whose country is that adopted by their parents, and to whom every good father would anxiously desire to leave a suf- ficient maintenance, such as his own honourable exertions could procure. Shall the missionaries be debarred from pro- viding in a proper manner for the future welfare of their own children "^ If a missionary and a more recent settler are each in treaty for a particular piece of ground, and the former ob- tains it upon easier terms than the latter, is it not a natural consequence of the good-will entertained towards him by the natives ; many of whom understand and appreciate his motives, and are themselves very fond of the little white chil- dren, considering them as belonging to their country ? The missionaries have bought land, as opportunities offered ; and they, of course, from their residence upon the spot, have had better opportunities than occasional visitors or late set- tlers.* - If anathemas, indulgences, or excommunications were in vogue among British missionaries, one might have a suspicion of undue influence ; but as such engines of spiritual, or indeed temporal power, have not, as yet, travelled out of the coral circle of the Gambler islands, I think we need not impugn the characters of highly religious men, by puzzling ourselves to learn how protestant ministers — unassisted by artifice, sup- ported by no temporal power, except that of public opinion, excited by their own good conduct — could have obtained so great an influence over tribes of New Zealanders, as to induce them to part with their paternal lands upon terms which the natives thought unfavourable, or less advantageous than those oflfered by other persons. In opposition to such an idea as that of their eagerly grasp- ing at territory, and using undue means to procure it, I know with certainty, that the Rev. Henry Williams, and his brother William, exerted all their real influence — that of ad- vice—in pointing out the consequences which would result to * After a purchase of land has been made by a settler (or immigrant, as the colonists say), he is considered to be under the protection of the chief of the tribe from whom the purchase was effected.