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looked staringly and serutinizingly into the Governor’s face, and, having surveyed it, exclaimed in a shrill, loud, and mournful yoice, “Auee! he koroheke! Ekore e roa kua mate.” (I felt “wild” at him.) The Governor, turning to me said, “What does he say?” I endeavoured to parry the direct question by answering, “Oh, nothing of importance. A stranger chief only just arrived from the interior, running hither to catch you, and bidding you his greeting.” But, as His Excellency’s desire to know was keenly aroused, with that of Captain Nias and his officers by his side, and perhaps that of many of the whites present, including the sailors, who had ceased dragging down the boat, the Governor rejoined imploringly to me, “Now pray do, Mr. Colenso, tell me the exact meaning of his words. I much wish to know it all.” So, being thus necessitated (for there were others present who knew enough of Maori), I said, “He says, ‘Alas! an old man. He will soon be dead!’” His Excellency thanked me for it, but a cloud seemed to have fallen on all the strangers present, and the party embarked in silence for their ship.
In the afternoon a quantity of tobacco (negro-head) was distributed among the Natives, or, rather, was intended to be so, for they soon upset the superintending officer (who was obliged, nolens volens, to put up with the loss of his dignity), and so got the tobacco among them, by which, however, some got a large share, and some got little, and others none at all. This occurrence occasioned much dissatisfaction among the Natives, and for some time I feared the result.
Notwithstanding the public notice given by the Governor that the next meeting would be held on the Friday, 7th, it was found on consideration this evening that it would be advisable to hold the same on to-morrow, Thursday, 6th, inasmuch as the number of Natives gathered together was large, and they had no supply of food with them; neither was there any place at hand (or within several miles, and only situate on the opposite shores of the bay) where they might obtain any. Several of the Native chiefs
