So New Zealand's shores became, very early in this century, the favourite haunt of whalers, sealers, and nondescript trading schooners.
Deserters and ship-wrecked seamen were adopted by the tribes.

An occasional runaway convict from Australia added spice to the mixture.
The lot of these unacknowledged and unofficial pioneers of our race was chequered.

Some castaways were promptly knocked on the head and eaten.

Some suffered in slavery.

In 1815 two pale, wretched-looking men, naked, save for flax mats tied round their waists threw themselves on the protection of the captain of the _Active_, then lying in the Bay of Islands.