314 WITNESS A NATIVE FIGHT. 



— contrary to their usual practice of late ; and at 

 the place where they had slept^ numbers of spears 

 were stuck up on end in the sand. These prepara- 

 tions surprised me^ but Paida w ould not explain 

 the cause and seemed anxious to g-et me away. 

 The shooters marched oiF— each with his black — but 

 I loitered behind^ walking* slowly along' the beach. 



About 200 yards from the first camping'-place^ 

 two oToups of strang-e natives^ chiefly men^ were 

 assembled with throwinof-sticks in their hands and 

 bundles of spears. While passing* them they moved 

 along* in twos and threes towards the Evans Bay 

 party^ the men of Avhich advanced to meet them. 

 The women and children beg-an to make off, but 

 a few remained as spectators on the sands^ it being- 

 then low w^ater. A g-reat deal of violent g*esticu- 

 lation and shouting* took place^ the parties became 

 more and more excited^ and took up their position 

 in two scattered lines facing* each other^ extending: 

 from the marg-in of the beach to a little way in the 

 busily and about twenty-five yards apart. Paida^ 

 too^ partook of the excitement and could refrain no 

 long*er from joinings in the fig'ht 5 he dropped my 

 haversack and bounded away at full speed to his 

 camping'-place^ where he received his spears from 

 little Purom his son^ and quickly made his appear- 

 ance upon the scene of action. 



The two parties were pretty equally matched — 

 about fifteen men in each. The noise now became' 

 deafening*; shouts of defiance^ insulting* expressions^ 



