Hide Article Text (OCR)
NEW ZEALAND.♦ • * ♦ * .The Sydney Herald of May 2, says, “ By the last :|arrivals, we understand that there are vast quantities of heads ; preparing in Cook’s Straits for the Sydney market: They' are those of the poor creatures who were massacred at Banks j Peninsula, Sept. 15. Hands and arms are curing in the same! manner-—this is a new branch of the art, introduced amongst'them by their highly civilized white brethren. Tlie hand of;the murdered chief, and a part of the intestines, converted \ into a powder flask, we understands are now in the possession ! of a gentleman in Sydney/’ From another number of the same * paper, we are glad to find that this vile commerce is stopped : A vessel from New Zealand having brought up several baked, or preserved human heads, to the number, it is stated, of twelve, and several accounts of very serious disturbances having occurred, to which it is said, the Europeans were not entire stran-; gers, an order has been issued forbidding the further importation of that disgusting commodity : this order, though excellent in itself, falls short of the expectations of the public, though it must be admitted that the government is limited in itvS power over crimes committed in New Zealand, as it is neither a colony nor a dependency of the Crown, hut is considered, with very little propriety, as a sovereign and indepen- • dent state. We may, therefore, regulate our own imports, but! thejaw of nations, it is supposed, gives us no authority overtheir exports. In publishing the order in question, it wouldhave been satisfactory if the names of all the ships and parties! had been specified, that the innocent might not sufler in popular estimation, and perhaps in the eyes of the New Zealanders^ themselves. It may be pleaded in excuse, that under every discouragement, the practice of steaming human heads by a process peculiar to the natives of New Zealand is still continued, and is likely to continue,, from custom and superstition. But this is not the point at issue : for it is evident, that if the heads of enemies are wanting, the heads of old friends, pastdefence, are to he met with, and the facility being presented, the view ef profit will urge to the commission of crimes of the deepest dye.—We have done sufficient injury by the introduction of fire-arms; spirits, and European maladies. Besides, it the beads of natives are not forthcoming, the heads of whites may be procured, with a little dexterity and deception, equally fit lor steaming as those of a darker hue.”SWAN RIVER.
Newspaper Details
Christian Advocate
London, Middlesex, GB
Mon, Oct 31, 1831
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
NZ 23 Sep 2022
Other Publications Near London, Middlesex
Bingleys Journal
Arminian Magazine
London Daily Mail
London Stars and Stripes
London Daily Universal Register
