Williams. — The Stonj of John RntJtcrford. 457 



hundred more natives encamped by the side of a river. On 

 the opposite side of the river — which was about half a mile 

 wide and not more than ift. deep in any part— about four 

 hundred of the enemy were encamped, waiting for reinforce- 

 meiits." With these people was a white man, " who," says 

 Rutherford, " told me that his name was John Mawman, that 

 he was a native of Port Jackson, and that he had run away 

 from the 'Tees' sloop-of-war while she lay at this island. 

 He had since joined the natives, and was now livings with a 

 chief named Rawmatty, whose daughter he had married, and 

 whose residence was at a place called Sukyanna, on the west 

 <2oast, within fifty miles of. the Bay of Islands." 



An account of the engagement then follows : " Early the 

 next morning the enemy retreated to the distance of aboitt two 

 miles from the river, upon observing wliich our party im- 

 mediately threw off their mats and got under arms. The two 

 parties had altogether about two thousand muskets among 

 them, chiefly purchased from the English and American South 

 Sea ships which touch at the island. We now crossed the 

 river, and, having arrived at the opposite side, I took my sta- 

 tior] on a rising ground about a quarter of a mile distant from 

 where our party halted, so that I had a full view of the engage- 

 ment. I was not myself required to figlit, but I loaded my 

 double-barrelled gun, and, thus armed, remained at my post, 

 my wife and the two slave-girls having seated themselves at 

 my feet. The commander-in-chief of each party now stepped 

 forward a few yards, and, placing himself in front of his troops, 

 commenced the war-song. When this was ended both parties 

 •danced a war-dance, singing at the same time as loud as they 

 could, and brandishing their weapons in the air. Having 

 tinifli-^d their dance, each party formed into a line two deep, 

 the women and boys stationing themselves about 10 yards to 

 the rear. The two bodies then advanced to within 100 

 yards of each other, when they fired off their muskets. Few 

 of them put the musket to the shoulder while firing it, but 

 merely held it at the charge. They only fired once, and then, 

 throwing their nuiskets behind them, where they were picked 

 up by the women and boys, drew their meri/s and tomahawks 

 out of their belts, when, the war-song being screamed by the 

 whole of them together in a manner most dismal to be heard, 

 the two parties rushed into close combat. They now took 

 hold of the hair of each other's heads with 'their left hands, using 

 the right to cut off the head. Meantime the women and boys 

 followed close behind them, uttering the most shocking cries 

 I ever heard. These last received the heads of the slain from 

 those engaged in the battle as soon. as they were cut off, after 

 which the men went in aiiiong the enemy for the dead bodies ; 

 l)ut many of tliom received bodies whicli did not belontr to the 



