of George the Fourth a chief who was taken to
England and received at Buckingham Palace, and was looked upon as a
highly civilised person, on his return exchanged at Sydney all the
articles which had been given him for firearms and ammunition, and
immediately commenced a war of extermination against all the surrounding
tribes, and feasted without scruple on the bodies of his foes. It is
not surprising that, under such circumstances, two-thirds of the
inhabitants of New Zealand have been, within the last century, swept
away by warfare. The process of extermination had, indeed, commenced
long before Cook visited those shores, and it would probably ere now
have completed its ravages had not the Christian Church been roused to a
sense of its responsibilities, and conveyed to New Zealand, as to other
lands, the knowledge of Him who teaches us by His Word and Spirit to
love our enemies, to bless those who curse us, and to do good to those
who despitefully use us and persecute us.

The wandering propensities of the New Zealanders were shown by the
desire expressed by several youths of embarking on board the ships.
One, named Taweiharooa, eighteen years of age, the son of a dead chief,
was selected to accompany Omai, who had been desirous of having a
companion. That Taweiharooa might be sent off in a way becoming his
rank, a boy, Kokoa, of about ten years of age, to act as his servant,
was presented by his own father with as much indifference as he would
have parted with a dog. It was clearly explained to the youths that
they would probably never return to their native country, but, as Cook
observes, so great was the insecurity of life in New Zealand at that
time, that he felt no compunction in the matter, as the lads could
scarcely fail to improve their lot by the change.

The ships left Queen Charlotte's Sound on February 25. No sooner had
they lost sight of land than the New Zealand adventurers were seized
with sea-sickness, which, giving a turn to their thoughts, made them
bitterly lament what they had done, while they expressed their feelings
in a sort of song which they continued to sing till they got better. By
degrees their lamentations ceased, and in a short time their native
country and friends seemed to be forgotten, and they appeared as firmly
attached to their new friends as if they had been born among them.

On March 29, 1777, the Discovery made the signal of land in the
north-east. It was soon found to