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

194 APPENDIX. , Thierry, sovereign chief of New Zealand, and king of Nuhahiva," (one of the Marquesas Islands) a formal declaration of his intention to establish in his own person an independent sovereignty in this coun- try, which intention he states he has declared to their Majesties the Kings of Great Britain and France, and to the President of the United States ; and that he is now waiting at Otaheite the arrival of an armed ship from Panama, to enable him to proceed to the Bay of Islands with sti-ength to maintain his assumed sovereignty. His intention is founded upon an alleged invitation given to liim in England by Shunghi and other chiefs, none of whom as indivi- duals had any right to the sovereignty of the country, and, conse- quently, possessed no authority to convey a right of sovereignty to another. Also, upon an alleged purchase made for him in 1822, by Mr. Kendall, of three districts on the Hokianga River, from three chiefs who had only a partial property in these districts, parts of which are now settled by British subjects, by virtue of purchase from the rightful proprietors. The British Resident has also seen an elaborate exposition of the views of this person, which he has addressed to the missionaries of the Church Missionary Society, in which he makes the most ample pro- mises to all persons, whether whites or natives, who \\t11 accept his invitation to live under his government ; and in which he offers a stipulated salary to each individual missionary in order to induce them to act as his magistrates. It is also supposed, that he may have made similar communications to other persons or classes of his Majesty's subjects, who are hereby invited to make such com- munications, or any information on this subject they may possess, knovra to the British Resident, or to the additional British Resident at Hokianga. The British Resident has too much confidence in the loyalty and good sense of his countrymen, to think it necessary to caution them against turning a favourable ear to such insidious promises. He firmly believes that the paternal protection of the British govern- ment, which has never failed any of his Majesty's subjects however remote, wiU not be withheld from them, should it be necessary to prevent their lives, liberties, or property, from being subjected to the caprice of any adventurer, who may choose to make this country, in which British subjects have now by the most lawful means acquired so large a stake, the theatre of his ambitious projects : nor, in the British Resident's opinion, will his Majesty, after having acknow-