88 LAND AT KORORAREKA. 



reddish^ or 3'ellaw colour^ fi*om their steepness almost 

 devoid of veg'etation. In the morning* it was a dead 

 cahn^ but at leng-th a lig'ht air sprang* up and 

 carried us into the bay of Kororareka^ when we 

 anchored in 4J fathoms^ mud and sand^ off the 

 villag"e of the same name^ also known as the town- 

 ship of Russell. 



May 17 th. — On landing' at Kororareka^ one finds 

 that what from a distance appear neat and comfort- 

 able cottag-es lose much by close inspection. The 

 township consists of about thirty small wooden 

 houses, mixed up with many native hovels. It 

 extends along* the shore of a small bay, with a 

 shing'l}' beach in front and a swamp behind. The 

 number of houses was formerly much gTeater, most 

 of those now existing* having* been built since May 

 1845, when the greater part of the town was 

 burnt down by the natives. Even noAv it supports 

 two public houses, and several g*eneral stores, A\here 

 necessaries may be procured at double the Sydney 

 prices. At one time much trade was done here, 

 before the duties imposed on the occasion of New 

 Zealand becoming- a British colony drove away the 

 ^A balers which used to resort in g-reat numbers to 

 the Bay of Islands to refit ; at present, besides the 

 Rattlesnake, the only vessel here is a brig* from 

 Hobarton, bound to California, which put in to this 

 place to g*et a new rudder. Live stock is plentiful 

 and the prices are moderate. 



There are many natives living* in the settlement* 



