MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 



461 



ourselves for the night to their 

 good faith, and Mr. Marsden was 

 anxious to convince George, by 

 sucli contidence, he was no longer 

 in our eyes an object of hatred or 

 suspicion. But whatever may have 

 been the sentiments of this gen- 

 tleman towards that insidious bar- 

 barian, my own were decidedly 

 prejudiced against him ; and if I 

 had no apprehensions for our per- 

 gonal safety, it was because I 

 trusted more to the hearts of his 

 people, than to any other honour- 

 able principle in their chief. As- 

 sured by Duaterra that these 

 people were never known to vio- 

 late the signal they had given us, 

 I felt perfectly at ease ; and though 

 George might himself be disposed 

 to act treacherously, he could find 

 none in this instance who would 

 co-operate in his designs. Yet 

 here let me be understood as 

 speaking of this man only from 

 my own individual feelings, and 

 the impression he made on me by 

 his appearance and behaviour, for 

 there was no positive act to war- 

 rant the censure I have passed 

 upon him, though I rather think 

 1 have not been much deceived as 

 to his real character. 



When we got back to the village, 

 Duaterra, with Mr. Kendall and 

 Mr. King, returned to the vessel, 

 and Shunghi, who had ordered 

 his people to prepare some fish 

 and potatoes for our dinner, had 

 them jiow brought before us, and 

 we sat down with a good appetite. 

 Mr. Marsden's New Zealand ser- 

 vant. Tommy Drummond, had by 

 this time come on shore with some 

 tea and an iron tea kettle, and 

 this favourite beverage was never 

 before more grateful to us. 'I'he 

 repast was laid out in a large open 



space, and we were quickly sur- 

 rounded by crowds of the natives, 

 each with wild amazement visible 

 in his countenance. Men, women, 

 and children, docked in upon ua 

 in one oppressive body, so that 

 to keep ourselves from being suf- 

 focated, we were obliged to form 

 a circle, which none was allowed 

 to pass, and seating themselves all 

 rounti the verge of it, they watched 

 our motions with the most eager 

 curiosity. Many of them had 

 never before in the whole course 

 of their lives beheld an European, 

 and to see packaka kiki, (the 

 white man eat,) was a novelty of 

 so curious a nature, that they 

 gazed on it with wonder and 

 delight. Our situation at this 

 moment reminded me very for- 

 cibly of certain European kings, 

 who to shew their subjects that 

 monarchs must eat as well as 

 themselves, have long been in the 

 habit of taking their sumptuous 

 banquets in public. They kept 

 their eyes steadfastly fixed on us 

 all the time, and not a single oc- 

 currence escaped their observa- 

 tion; while staring with surprise, 

 they frequently called to those 

 around them to look at the won- 

 ders we presented. Many of them 

 expressed their astonishment in 

 silent attention, and others, burst- 

 ing out into fits of laughter at 

 every bit we ate, were exceedingly 

 amused by the spectacle. We dis- 

 tributed IJiscuit and sugar-candy 

 among several of them, which 

 they liked so well that they ap- 

 peared eagerly desirous to get 

 more, smacking their lips with an 

 exquisite relish for these unknown 

 luxuries. 



I observed among the crowd 

 some venerable looking old men, 



who 



