424: Transactions. 



Brown's Island]. Its summit is in form of a crater, and the scoria found 

 at its base attests that its origin is equally volcanic, although it is to-day 

 almost entirely covered with a thick carpet of very green herbs. 



Rangui had breakfast with me, and comported himself decently at table ; 

 afterwards he sent all his people and the canoes ashore, remaining alone 

 with Tawiti on board. Amongst the things Avhich he told me, the following 

 are what I noted with much care : He had no knowledge of any but three 

 vessels that had visited these parts before ours- — viz., the "Koroman" 

 (" Coromandel," Captain Downie), " Pateriki " (without doubt, from what I 

 afterwards gathered, the " Saint Patrick," with M. Dillon) ; lastly, the 

 " Louisiann," which I supposed to be an American. [Major Cruise, in the 

 " Prince Regent," was in these parts in 1820.] This last ran aground aud 

 nearly perished in trying to pass through the Pakii [Pakihi] Channel. The 

 district of Tamaki, which lies on the banks of the Mogoia, recognises for 

 principal chiefs Rangui, Kaiwaka, and Tawiti, whilst Manoukao is under a 

 great chief named Toupaia [Tu-paea, a leading chief of Ngati-Tipa, of lower 

 •Waikato], whom my two guests called their father. No doubt this is only 

 a title of respect or adoption, since they explained later that their true father 

 was Houpa [Te Haupa], a powerful chief formerly established near the 

 mouth of the Wai-Kahourounga [probably Kauaeranga, River Thames], 

 but who had succumbed, with a great number of his warriors, in an epidemic 

 which they attribute to the anger of the God of the English. [Probably 

 this epidemic is that known as " Te Ariki," introduced by H.M.S. " Coro- 

 mandel " in 1820, when she discovered the harbour named after her, and 

 which epidemic spread through nearly the whole of New Zealand, carrying 

 off very many thousand people. Mr. Marsden was on board her at the time.] 

 In their superstitious ideas it was the appearance of Mr. Marsden amongst 

 them, and the intercession of that tohunga or powerful prophet, that pro- 

 cured for them this terrible affliction ; but they could not assign any special 

 motive for that absurd opinion. It is known also that during the whole of 

 his voyages in this country Mr. Marsden lived in the most perfect harmony 

 with these people. However it may be, thenceforth regarding those parts 

 as devoted to the celestial vengeance, the children of Houpa and their com- 

 panions, placing their old homes under an eternal tapii, established them- 

 selves more to the north on the left-hand side of the Shouraki Gulf. All 

 that side takes the name of Ware-Kawa [Wharekawa], whilst that on the 

 east retains more particularly that of Shouraki. Waikato, situated at 

 three or four days' journey towards the S.S.E., and where is the arsenal of 

 these people, is commanded by Kanawa [Te Kanawa, who was a leading 

 but not the principal chief of Waikato at that time. Te Wherowhero was 

 the head chief then, and for many years after], and defended by a thousand 

 warriors, who at once march if any news is heard of the arrival of Shongui 

 [Hongi] at the Shouraki Bay. Rangui recounted to me the miserable 

 death of Hihi [Te Ihi, a noted Nga-Puhi warrior], one of the most redoubt- 

 able companions of Shongui, Avho was drowned the preceding year in the 

 same basin where we were then anchored. His canoe had capsized during 

 a violent squall, and his body became food for the fishes — a destiny the 

 most fatal [degrading] in the ideas of this people. 



My guest never ceased telling me with emphasis that he had killed and 

 eaten Pomare, showing me with pride his Scotch tunic as a trophy of his 

 victory — Exuvias indutus Achilles. [No doubt Te Rangi was present at 

 the death of Pomare, for the former's tribe, Ngati-Paoa, were, with Ngati- 

 Tipa, of Waikato, the principal actors in the affair. But it is always said 



