University of Otago Library
Observations on the Authority of New Zealand Chiefs, 2 July 1821
Reverend
Samuel
Marsden
Author
text
Letter
2 July 1821
20 July 1821
13 August 1821
20 August 1821
eng
text/html
322 x 204 mm
2 leaves
4 pages
reformatted digital
Hocken Collections' Title: Observations on the Authority of New Zealand Chiefs
Authority
Authority
New Zealand
-41.244772,174.675751
Hope
Hope
Political science
Government
River Thames
51.512161,0.113876
Bay Of Islands
-35.17886,174.169586
Fire
Fire
Europeans
Temmaranga
Peace
Peace
Murder
Murder
Cruelties
Captain
Great Britain. Parliament
British Government
Wyekotto
-38.043765,175.428829
Patu
Mere
Climate
Climate
Life
Life
Marsden
Hocken Collections, University of Otago Library, Dunedin, New Zealand.
http://www.marsdenarchive.otago.ac.nz/MS_0057_031
http://www.marsdenarchive.otago.ac.nz/MS_0057_031_001
http://www.marsdenarchive.otago.ac.nz/MS_0057_031_002
http://www.marsdenarchive.otago.ac.nz/MS_0057_031_003
http://www.marsdenarchive.otago.ac.nz/MS_0057_031_004
MS_0057_031
Trimble 31
CMS Number 31
The manuscript images, transcripts and metadata displayed on the Marsden Online Archive site are governed by a Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 New Zealand (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 NZ) copyright agreement (available at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/nz/). Please contact the Hocken Collections, University of Otago Library, Dunedin, New Zealand for more information.
University of Otago Library
2015-06-11T09:04:13+12:00
machine generated
eng
Observations on the Authority of New Zealand Chiefs, 2 July 1821
Reverend Samuel Marsden
University of Otago Library
Digitised from the Hocken Library
Collection Number MS-0057/031
Trimble 31
CMS Number 31
Digitised by the Marsden Online Archive
Library of Congress Subject Headings
Letter
Maori Subject Headings
2 July 1821
20 July 1821
13 August 1821
British English
Authority
Hope
Political science
Fire
Peace
Murder
Great Britain. Parliament
Climate
Life
Patu
Authority
New zealand
Hope
Government
River thames
Bay of islands
Fire
Europeans
Temmaranga
Peace
Murder
Cruelties
British government
Wyekotto
Mere
Climate
Life
Marsden
Observations on the Authority which the Chiefs
possess in New Zealand
There are Chiefs who hold large Tracts of Land in New Zealand as their hereditary right; yet their authority over the Persons and property of those who live within their Jurisdiction is very circumscribed, and confined within their own Family Domestics and Slaves, over whom they have the most absolute power. Upon their Lands a number of inferior Chiefs generally reside by permission, who may be allied in some way or other to the principal Chief by Family connexions, Intermarriages, or Friendship. Each of these Chiefs carrys on their own Cultivation, have their own Domestics and Slaves over whom the principal Chief has no authority whatever. Besides these there are free Persons who are poor, and who possess neither Land no Slaves; and whose Families have probably been reduced by war or other Calamities. Over these also the Chiefs has no authority whatever. They go where they please, and live as they please, without interruption from any one. As the Chief is generally a Military Character those who live within his Jurisdiction look up to him in times of common danger for protection, and range themselves under his Barrier from motives of personal Safety. He also on his part conciliates their Esteem, and ensures their obedience more by Courtesy and Kindness than by Command. Knowing that he has no authority to command them many of the inferior Chiefs with their domestics and Slaves as well as the poor freemen will readily join the principal Chief in his wars, in order to indulge their natural disposition for fighting, and in hope of sharing the spoils of war. Was the principal Chief to call upon any Class of free People within his Jurisdiction to labour they would pay little attention to his Commands. he has no authority over them in this respect nor any means to enforce their obedience. The principal Chiefs, as well as the inferior ones are all extremely Jealous of the Authority they possess tho' individually it is very small. The most of the Chiefs with whom I have conversed upon the moral and political state of their Country, are
convinced they want a Government. But there is no one Chief
possest
possessed
of sufficient information, power, and Influence, to enable him to establish himself as a King over the rest and the Chiefs are too proud, and jealous to invest their Authority in the hands of any Individual of their own Country. The Chiefs at the River Thames requested that some European ASoldiers might be sent to them, to assist them to protect themselves from the more powerful Tribes at the Bay of Islands, who have greatly the advantage over them from their Fire arms. It is necessity, not Choice that induces them to solicit this assistance, and perhaps this necessity may open the way, and lay the foundation for the establishment of a regular Government in time. Tho' the Chiefs know they want a Government and are sensible that their Country would be greatly benefited from what they have seen heard and learned from their intercourse with the Europeans, yet they never can accomplish such an important object without the assistance of some
civilized
civilised
nation.–
If they lived under the Authority of one Chief he might form some regular Government, but under their feudal System this can never be done. Tho' one Tribe or whole districts would willingly receive foreign assistance to protect them from their more powerful Enemies, yet I think it very probable, that the body of the Chiefs would hesitate before they placed their Country under the power and Government of a foreign nation; they will never wish to be commanded if they can possibly avoid this. Temmaranga is a man of very sound sense, and very deep reflection
–
He laments the state of his Country much more than any Chief I have ever seen, and is better acquainted with its miseries. He is a Chief of great Consequence: Had been a great warrior, but is now anxious to put a stop to their destructive wars, and the three months he has travelled with me, he has used every argument with the Chiefs we have met with, to induce them to live in peace. He has often told me that there is nothing but the High hand of Authority that can restrain some of the Chiefs from Spoil and Murder
–
and has observed, if he was King and had the power, he would take their Heads off immediately, if they would not be quiet, and seemed to think that nothing short of that would put a stop to their Cruelties
–
He is very anxious that Captain Downies recommendation to the British Government, to send a man of war to New Zealand, should be attended to, as he hopes his Country will derive many benefits
from such a measure: and particularly that a Man of War will prevent those tribes who are
possest
possessed
of Fire Arms from ranging the Sea Coast, and Murdering the tribes who are not able to resist them. I am strongly inclined to think that those Chiefs at the River Thames at Wyekotto and further to the Southward, who have no means to procure Arms and Ammunition, will be driven from mere necessity to place themselves under the protection of some civil Government, should they have it in their power to do this. Should such an event ever take place, and security given to persons and property, New Zealand will then be a
Civilized
civilised
Nation in a short time, and Agriculture and the simple Arts will flourish. Its Climate and other local advantages are so favourable for the production of all the Comforts of Civil Life, that it will rise in importance, and its inhabitants will abound with plenty.
Samuel Marsden
Hocken Archive Reference Number
MS-0057/031
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University of Otago Library, Reprographics Unit
Processing actions undertaken to: prepare the image for online digital use and maintain the integrity of the image.
Adobe Photoshop
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Cropped item to remove excess border and straightened the image.
The manuscript images, transcripts and metadata displayed on the Marsden Online Archive site are governed by a Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 New Zealand (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 NZ) copyright agreement (available at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/nz/). Please contact the Hocken Collections, University of Otago Library, Dunedin, New Zealand for more information.
Hocken Collections, University of Otago Library, Dunedin, New Zealand.
hocken@otago.ac.nz
Hocken Archive Reference Number
MS-0057/031
37MB
image/tif
6.0
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University of Otago Library, Reprographics Unit
digital still camera
Canon
Canon EOS
6D
11.0
1.3
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0220
1.3
11.0
6.5
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Multi-segment
tungsten
flash did not fire
50.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 61.0 mm)
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Auto Focus Used
Normal
Digitised as part of the Mining Marsden Project in 2013/2014
8, 8, 8
integer
3
2014:04:17 13:14:54
University of Otago Library, Reprographics Unit
Processing actions undertaken to: prepare the image for online digital use and maintain the integrity of the image.
Adobe Photoshop
CS6
Windows
7
Cropped item to remove excess border and straightened the image.
The manuscript images, transcripts and metadata displayed on the Marsden Online Archive site are governed by a Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 New Zealand (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 NZ) copyright agreement (available at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/nz/). Please contact the Hocken Collections, University of Otago Library, Dunedin, New Zealand for more information.
Hocken Collections, University of Otago Library, Dunedin, New Zealand.
hocken@otago.ac.nz
Hocken Archive Reference Number
MS-0057/031
36MB
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University of Otago Library, Reprographics Unit
digital still camera
Canon
Canon EOS
6D
11.0
1.3
Manual
0220
1.3
11.0
6.5
1.4
Multi-segment
tungsten
flash did not fire
50.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 61.7 mm)
0
Subject is illuminated from the front side.
Auto Focus Used
Normal
Digitised as part of the Mining Marsden Project in 2013/2014
8, 8, 8
integer
3
2014:04:17 13:13:57
University of Otago Library, Reprographics Unit
Processing actions undertaken to: prepare the image for online digital use and maintain the integrity of the image.
Adobe Photoshop
CS6
Windows
7
Cropped item to remove excess border and straightened the image.
The manuscript images, transcripts and metadata displayed on the Marsden Online Archive site are governed by a Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 New Zealand (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 NZ) copyright agreement (available at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/nz/). Please contact the Hocken Collections, University of Otago Library, Dunedin, New Zealand for more information.
Hocken Collections, University of Otago Library, Dunedin, New Zealand.
hocken@otago.ac.nz
Hocken Archive Reference Number
MS-0057/031
37MB
image/tif
6.0
Uncompressed
MD5
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ACEMC
2868
4554
RGB
manuscript
Hakena
MS-0057/031
204
mm
322
mm
2014:04:09 15:57:57.25
University of Otago Library, Reprographics Unit
digital still camera
Canon
Canon EOS
6D
11.0
1.3
Manual
0220
1.3
11.0
6.5
1.4
Multi-segment
tungsten
flash did not fire
50.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 61.1 mm)
0
Subject is illuminated from the front side.
Auto Focus Used
Normal
Digitised as part of the Mining Marsden Project in 2013/2014
8, 8, 8
integer
3
2014:04:17 13:14:16
University of Otago Library, Reprographics Unit
Processing actions undertaken to: prepare the image for online digital use and maintain the integrity of the image.
Adobe Photoshop
CS6
Windows
7
Cropped item to remove excess border and straightened the image.
The manuscript images, transcripts and metadata displayed on the Marsden Online Archive site are governed by a Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 New Zealand (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 NZ) copyright agreement (available at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/nz/). Please contact the Hocken Collections, University of Otago Library, Dunedin, New Zealand for more information.
Hocken Collections, University of Otago Library, Dunedin, New Zealand.
hocken@otago.ac.nz