Smith. — Captain D^hville's Visit to Tologa Bay. 133 



For indifferent knives, fish-hooks, or other trifles we obtained potatoes in 

 profusion. It may be judged what an ample supply of fresh provisions 

 we obtained for the crew and our tables. 



I at once sent MM. Jacquinot and Lottin to the watering-place of Cook 

 to observe the latitude and longitude. At 1 p.m. M. Paris departed to 

 sound the channel. The naturalists and the artist also went ashore to 

 follow their avocations. I remained on board with the other officers to 

 watch the movements of the Natives — a precaution which I judged more 

 necessary here than elsewhere, as much on account of their numbers as 

 their physical force and turbulent disposition. 



Already I had nearly drawn upon myself the animosity of one of these 

 redoubtable savages — a thing I was anxious to avoid at any price, above 

 all on account of those persons the nature of whose work obliged them to 

 go ashore. Thus, as I have already said, whilst we were under sail I had 

 kept off all the canoes which approached the ship, and only allowed Wai- 

 Hetouma, who said he was chief rangatira of the place, to come on board 

 with another Native whom he had represented as one of his near relatives. 

 It is well to remark that this chief, who appeared to have received all his 

 insignia, to judge by the complete tattooing of his face, was a peaceable 

 man, easy and honest, and that he had applauded my resolution not to 

 let any one on board beyond himself and companion. Most of those who 

 presented themselves obe}'ed the prohibition against them, although with 

 visible repugnance ; but one amongst th m would not obey the sentinel, 

 and only left when trembling with rage at the peremptory order I gave 

 him myself. It was plain to see that from his canoe he menaced me. By 

 his stature and haughty mien, and the air of submission of those who sur- 

 rounded him, it was obvious he was a chief. Moreover, a young woman in 

 his canoe who spoke a mixture of English corrupted and New Zealand 

 did not cease to repeat to me, with an extraordinary volubility, that Shaki,* 

 her master, was a great chief and friend of the English, and that it was 

 very bad of me not to receive him. Of course, I could afford to mock at 

 these menaces against myself ; but I have explained the motives which 

 guided me in dealing with these savages, especially the chiefs. Therefore 

 I called Wai-Hetouma, and asked him who was this new-comer, so urgent. 

 He allowed that Shaki was a great chief, and soon I had reason to believe 

 he was superior to AVai-Hetouma in rank, or at least in influence. I then 

 made a sign to Shaki to come on board, and explained amicably to 

 him that I was unaware he was a distinguished rangatira, and gave him a 

 few presents, which soon effected a change in his demeanour. From that 

 moment we became the best friends in the world, and he was one of the last 

 to quit the corvette^ from which he never budged an instant whilst we were 

 there. This Native, who seemed hardly thirty years of age, was at least 

 5 ft. 9 in. high ; his form was athletic, with a martial air. He told me 

 he had seen many English, and had been the companion-in-arms of Pomare, 

 of Mata-ouwi [Matauri — Bay of Islands], that celebrated conqueror of New 

 Zealand. The name of Shongui-Ika [Hongi-hika] was also known to him, 

 luit he said he had never seen him. [Pomare, here referred to, was the 

 celebrated Nga-Puhi chief of that name, who made several warlike ex- 

 peditions down the East Coast, the principal one in 1823, when possibly 

 Shaki joined him.. Pomare was killed on the Waipa River in 1826.] 



* We borrow from the English the form sh to represent here and in the course of 

 this work a sound intermediate in some sort between that of / and ch in French. 



