rs; but though they made good
seamen they were sometimes sulky and revengeful, and rarely continued at
it more than two or three years.

In 1805 a Maori went with an English surgeon all the way to England, and
returned with the most astounding tales of London and English wonders.
During the next four or five years several other Maoris went to England,
while, on the other hand, a few very respectable white men began to
settle down in New Zealand. They were far superior to the rough sailors
and liberated convicts of Sydney, who so far had been the most frequent
visitors, so that mutual good-will seemed to be established, as the
Maoris found that there was much they could gain by the visits of the
white men. But all this friendliness was marred by an unfortunate
occurrence.

#10. The Boyd Massacre.#--In 1809 a ship named the _Boyd_ sailed from
Sydney to go to England round Cape Horn. She had on board seventy white
people, including some children of officers at Sydney who were on their
way to England to be educated. As she was to call at New Zealand to get
some kauri spars, five Maoris went with her, working their passage over.
One of these Maoris, named Tarra, was directed during the voyage to do
something which he refused to do. The captain caused him to be twice
flogged. When the ship anchored in a bay a little to the north of the
Bay of Islands, Tarra went ashore, and showed to his tribe his back all
scarred with the lash. Revenge was agreed on. The captain was enticed
ashore with a few men; and they were suddenly attacked and all killed.
Then the Maoris quietly got alongside the ship, rushed on board and
commenced the work of massacre among men, women and children, who were
all unarmed. Some of the children fell and clasped the feet of Tarra,
begging him to save them, but the young savage brained them without
mercy. All were slain except a woman and two children who hid themselves
during the heat of the massacre, and a boy who was spared because he had
been kind to Tarra. All the bodies were taken ashore and eaten. One of
the chiefs while curiously examining a barrel of gunpowder caused it to
explode, blowing himself and a dozen others to pieces.

Te Pehi, the head chief of the Ngapuhi, was extremely vexed when he
heard of this occurrence, and took some trouble to rescue the four
survivors, but five whaling vessels gathered for revenge; they landed
their crews, who shot thirty Maoris whether belonging to Tarra's tr