THE NELSON EXAMINER. Saturday, July 9, 1859.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume XVIII, Issue XVIII, 9 July 1859, Page 2

THE NELSON EXAMINER. Saturday, July 9, 1859.

Journats become more necessary as men become more equal and individualism more to be feared. It would be to underrate their importance to suppose that they serve only to secure liberty: they maintain civilization. De Tocqubvillk, Of Democracy in America, vol. T.,p. 230.

Late events have considerably increased the interest which our position naturally leads us to take in the state and prospects of the great group of islands which, under various designations, so' thickly stud the Pacific Ocean, to the northward of New Zealand : which, stretching far into the tropics, intervene between us and the great continent of Asia ; and which, under many aspects, political, moral, and religious, are now exciting considerable attention, some little anxiety, and an increasing sympathy in their progress and improvement. Known collectively as Melanesia, or the islands inhabited by a black race, they have, under the names of the Samoas, Loyalty, Fijies, Navigator's, and Solomon's Islands, been for many years frequented by trading vessels, which have brought back fearful tales of the cruelty, treachery, and untameable savagery of their inhabitants ; and not unfrequently boasted of the thorough vengeance they had inflicted upon them in return. Of late years, although at first the notion was rather unpopular, it has been suggested that it might possibly have so happened that the provocation was not invariably all on one side ; that the temptation of getting a full cargo of sandal wood, without paying for it, might, now and then, have been too much for the virtue of some not overscrupulous trader j or that the behaviour of the crews, on shore, might not always have come up to the standard of even heathen morality ; and that, at all events, in listening to the accounts of the fearful massacres which were occasionally taking place, and the wholesale retribution which followed, we heard one party only, and that the pne which had every motive to put their own rather startling proceedings in the most favourable point of view. From the occasional accounts of Europeans, who, either by accident or design, had spent some time among them, they began to be looked upon as not altogether worthless or irreclaimable, and the pioneer of civilization, the missionary, ventured among them ; and even the tragical fate of poor Williams, at Erromangu, deterred not others from treading in his footsteps, For some ten or a dozen years past, or even longer, these islands have been visited, their state made known to us, and their claims advocated by the Bishop of New Zealand,* whose interest in them was looked upon rather grudgingly by some of his home flock; of which we recollect an amusing instance, in a gentleman who told us, with rather a spiteful pleasure, that he was happy to say that the Bishop had neither been killed nor eaten there ; a consummation which, judging from his tone, we considered was to be looked upon as a heavy blow and great dis-

couragement to episcopal ambition. The more favourable impressions which we were thus almost insensibly led to form, were in many respects confirmed by accounts published of the visit of Captain Erskine ; and the late intelligence that the French have taken possession of the largest island of the group, New Caledonia ; have made it their principal station in these seas, instead of Tahiti ; have named M. de Saisset the Governor-General, and sent him considerable reinforcements of troops ; all tend to invest the subject with additional interest. Under these circumstances, the " Report of the Melanesian Mission" there for the last two years, lately advertised in our columns, deserves notice, and its perusal will well repay the reader. Its quiet uuassuming tone and its practical common sense views are very evident ; its encouraging results are striking ; and the future prospects of the countries it treats about are well worthy our consideration.

These so-called fierce and irreclaimable savages turn out to be a cheerful, merry, teachable, and warm-hearted set of people, who, when once satisfied as to the character and motives of their visitors, are hospitable and confiding to a very great degree.

The plan adopted by the Bishop of New Zealand is, to commence the intercourse with any new island by being himself the first man to land upon it. It is soon established on a friendly footing by a quick succession of visits, and through the report of our scholars on theii return to their friends ; and thus in a year or two, and in some cases in only a few months, a feeling of security and good- will is created.

Speaking of the inhabitants of Banks's Islands, the Report says —

Seldom can it have been the lot of any person to mccc with a people so simple and friendly. Much, no doubt, is going on among them which may, by God's graze, be remedied before long. But they know nothing of they have no fear of each other, and are soon won by kindness to become confiding and fearless with strangers.

One story they have of one of their ancestors having teen killed a long time ago by a white man. Two or three canoes had started to go off to a large vessel, seen at some distance, and one of the men had been killed by some person ou board. They say they have seen ships at a distance from time to time, but have never paddled off to them. The story which they have received from their fathers taught them to be afraid of them. But when once they saw that the strangers treated them kindly, nothing could exceed their simple joy and happiness. There is no vrish. to be exclusive and to keep aloof from others; on the contrary, they are constantly interchanging visits among each other. They are just like happy children; amused and pleased with any act of kindness, and not afraid of suffering themselves to show that they are pleased. Speaking of the race generally we are told that It is very rare to meet with any boy who is wanting in friendliness and good nature, and who refuses to be won to obedience and habit 3of order and attention by kindness and gentle treatment. Persons not accustomed to live with these lads, regarding them from without as interesting subjects for the ethuographer or philologist, or even looking at them from a more Christian point of view, yet without taking the pains to realize the identity of their wants and trials with our own, can hardly be brought to believe in the very great amount of intelligence and unselfishness, in the cheerfulness of disposition, the strength of character, and the warmth of affection which we seldom fail to discover in them. The whole account indeed is full of interest ; and (relating as it does to a people almost at our doors, aud with whom our relations and intercourse must in the natural course of events become gradually more intimate and extended) deserves and will well repay an attentive perusal.

We have received another letter, not amusing, but very angry, very sarcastic, and very personal, from Mr. Saunders ; for the first and last reasons we decline to insert it. He considers that when we spoke of Mr. Robinson's pledge we did so " with a view to injure his character," and speaks of our "maligning" him. We cannot help his imputing such motives to us; but we are unable to see how our mistake in attributing to him, on a particular occasion, sentiments which are well known to be his, which he had before expressed, which he held in common with his opponent, and which he afterwards carried out in practice, can be tortured into such an interpretation. Had he not brought forward such a measure when he had the power, he would have been much more open to remark and to hostile comment. Had we inadvertently attributed opinions to Mr. Robinson which were not his, we should not only withdraw but apologize for them ; but when they are his, aad do him no discredit, and are at the same time generally acceptable and popular, we thought aud still think a simple correction of the error all that was required. We can see no possible use in going over the old ground of thecelebrated paragraph in the speech. Mr. Saunders says we decline to answer his question, " whether the Superintendent in his speech did or did not assign the size of the block applied for as any reason for its refusal." He complains we only give our own version of it. Well, what other version could we give ? There is the speech itself; there is our explanation of it, or version ; there is the opinion of the great majority of the Council as to what it means. And on the other side there is — nothing.

We have always been ready, in the opinion of some too ready, to receive, and even ourselves to suggest, some plausible excuse, some easy mode of extrication out of the dilemma ; aud refer to our remarks in the article of May 11, as amply bearing out our assertion. We again repeat that we very sincerely regret that no explanation of that paragraph was ever given authoritatively; that the natural interpretation of it is that the size of the block applied for (four square miles) was the reason for refusal, the regulations not allowing

of its being granted ; that it was so understood; that it was so publicly stated at Motueka on what was believed sufficient authority; that it was so censured by the Council. But if the words used did not mean this, and we understand our correspondent to say they do not, why was this not stated at the time, or up to the present moment? It is rather late in the day now, but it is not too late yet perhaps to remove the impression very generally entertained, that they were intended to convey a meaning not warranted by the facts — a meaning which excused a political mistake by casting a slur upon the conduct of others: — and it is this which has conveyed into the dispute an acrimony and bitterness, of which the letter before us is a proof. If we are mistaken in thinking so, we could bring forward evidence to show that we are not alone in the opinion, but that unbiassed observers in the other Provinces have come pretty nearly to the same conclusions as ourselves.

One would be almost led to believe that in this constant attempt and evident desire to attribute personal enmity and ill-will where they do not exist, it is sought to attain some political object ; however that may be, we best consult our own feelings, and we believe also the taste of our readers, by leaving this peculiar field of literature altogether uncultivated.