loo Voyage of the Novara. 



most distingiiislied of the white settlers, to a great popular 

 fete every Christmas. The intelligence that on the present 

 occasion the " Kavana" (Governor), or Commander of one of 

 Queen Victoria's allies, would attend with a numerous suite, 

 had caused much agreeable excitement among the Maori, and 

 they offered to send some war-canoes and two whale-boats to 

 the coast opposite in order to convey the guests. The staff 

 of the Expedition were however already at the place of meet- 

 ing in the Takapuna district, when the war-cano3s arrived at 

 the usual place of embarkation in Auckland. Here we saw a 

 number of large tents pitched on an eminence, and gaily 

 adorned with English and other flags, under which were very 

 long narrow tables, about two feet high, covered with neat 

 little baskets elegantly woven of the leaves of the New Zea- 

 land flax, in which were cooked potatoes, roast-pork, and fish. 

 The guests, 300 or 400 in number, sat on the ground, wliich 

 was thickly covered with fern freshly gathered, some sitting 

 cross-legged, others squatting on their heels, zealously ex- 

 cavating the food with their fingers, for the use of forks has 

 not yet become a fashion among the Maori. The chief bever- 

 age was tea, and all around on the grass adjoining the tent 

 might be seen improvised fire-places, on every one of which 

 a huge kettle of boiling water was singing. The gait and 

 extravagance however of but too many indicated that less 

 harmless drinks were being supplied close by. Each as soon 

 as lie had finished his repast lighted his pipe, and mingled 

 with the groups that were chatting about. Tobacco smoking 



