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Thus, the very astute Dieffenbach already foresees the beginnings of the New Zealand Wars and
the advent of the Maori King Movement, as well as their tactics in defending their territories. 133
As can be seen, the welfare of the Maori concerned him greatly, so much so that he
devotes an entire section to it in the second volume of his work entitled ‘How to Legislate for the
Natives of New Zealand?’ (II:135-76). His liberal views, in this instance, are founded on the
belief that the Maori deserve equal attention and equal treatment, as well as the same basic human
rights and, over time, individual liberties as European colonists. 134 In this way, he believes this
so-called ‘fatal impact’ can be averted, or at least limited in effect, through legislating for the
indigenous population. This consists, first of all, in providing Maori with legal titles for the
ownership of their land, and allowing them to sort out the reserved land amongst themselves
through administering their own justice. This could be achieved by presenting men of authority in
the tribe with the responsibility of civil functionaries, such as a magistrate or constable, and
constructing a European-style house for them, whilst keeping in mind the gradual introduction of
European law through enacting laws in their own language. Importantly, the Maori, he argues,
should be left to their own devices, to an extent, in order to become “landed proprietors or
peasants”,
[as] he is convinced that what he grows, and the manner in which he grows it, are the fittest for
him, and the best adapted to his means, when compared with what he sees the Europeans doing,
with all their vaunted intellect, as they have not the advantage of knowing, as he does, the nature
of the soil and the climate of the country: and thus he will in time adopt what is desirable in his
circumstances; he will by degrees be taught the value of civilization, and be able to appreciate its
manifold advantages, without entailing on himself its miseries only. (II:153)
Of equal importance is persuading tribes against hostilities, and resolving land disputes by not
only providing each member of the tribe with ten acres of arable land, but also requiring potential
purchases of surplus land to go through the Government by means of payment in the form of
133 See next chapter.
134 Fittingly, Ferdinand Dieffenbach states that a Maori elegy was made in Ernst’s honour upon hearing of his death:
“Des Himmels Sterne sind erbleichend und zerstreut. / Es scheinen nimmermehr Tutahi und Rehua, / Der Stern, der
über dir, o Fremdling, wachte, / Fiel auf das bange Land und löschte aus für uns. / Traurig steht im Süden Tangarino
[Tongariro] / Und mit dem Federbusch Arawa’s spielt die Welle, / Doch deiner Größe Ruhm ist wie des Donners
Stimme / Und eingegraben steht am Firmament dein Name” (cited in: F. Dieffenbach, “Erforscher Neu-Seelands”,
87). However, this is merely a partial transcription of a translation by Julius von Haast of Iwikau Te Heuheu’s lament
for his dead brother entitled “Ko te tangi mo te Heuheu i horoa e te whenua”, which appeared in Ferdinand von
Hochstetter’s Neu-Seeland (1863), with minor adjustments, such as substituting “Mangaroa” with “Fremdling”. (See
Sir George Grey, Ko nga moteatea, me nga hakirara o nga Maori (Poems, Traditions, and Chaunts of the Maories)
[1853]. Facsim. Ed. Christchurch: Kiwi Publishers, 2002, 28f.; Charles Oliver B. Davis, Maori Momentos; being a
series of addresses, presented by the native people, to his excellency Sir George Grey … with introductory remarks
and explanatory notes, to which is added a small collections of laments, &c. Auckland: Williamson and Wilson,
1855, 82f.)
105