CHAP. XV.] " THE BOYD." 237 



the coast, all that grew nearer the sea having 

 already been cut down or destroyed. Several ves- 

 sels have here been laden with timber, and craft of 

 small burden have been built here. About 2000 

 natives live in the immediate neighbourhood of this 

 place, part of whom have become Protestant, part 

 Roman Catholic converts. Mission-stations for 

 both confessions are established here, and the na- 

 tives seem to be in a fair state of advancement. 

 They belong to the tribe of the Nga-pui, who took 

 possession of the country after the original tribe had 

 been conquered and nearly destroyed by E'Ongi. 

 This original tribe was the one that was led on by 

 the chief George to destroy the Boyd. You ask in 

 vain for people who took part in, or know much of, 

 this affair : the short time of thirty-one years has 

 been sufficient for a whole tribe to disappear. Of 

 this, however, I became convinced, that a small por 

 tion only of the blame rested with the natives. 

 E'Ongi received in his last. fight here the wound of 

 which he afterwards died. 



Besides the missionaries, about a dozen other Eu- 

 ropeans, mostly sawyers, live in different parts of 

 this district ; but, with the exception of Mr. Shep- 

 herd, the Church missionary, no one has made any 

 attempt to cultivate the soil. 



About two miles from the south head of Wan- 

 garoa harbour a beautiful red and variegated marble 

 is found on the coast, of a close fine grain, and in 



