372 ROUTE TO [PART n, 



The small tribe of natives who lived here at first 

 received us well. They cooked some potatoes for 

 us, and, as a cold south-easterly wind blew, we 

 went into a house to eat them. This house was 

 their Ware Karakia, or church, as they had lately 

 become " missionaries," and they appeared so exas- 

 perated at the idea that we should seek shelter 

 in a church, that from this moment we were pro- 

 nounced to be " devils," and all good feeling to- 

 wards us was gone. We quitted the building 

 immediately, and pitched our tent; but all our 

 efforts to obtain provisions, and a guide to show 

 us the road, were in vain. We renewed our en- 

 treaties on the following day, but could get nothing 

 from them except a small basketful of potatoes, 

 which a man presented to me in consideration of 

 two needles I had given to him. These natives 

 were quite the reverse of our kind friends at Te- 

 rapa ; but I afterwards heard that the tribe con- 

 sisted chiefly of men who had formerly been slaves, 

 and that they were noted for their churlishness and 

 want of hospitality. In spite of all possible caution 

 and forbearance on my part, I have several times 

 met with a bad reception, and always found the 

 cause something connected with missionary, I will 

 not say Christian, observances. The misunder- 

 standing generally arose from some exaggerated 

 idea of what was required of them by the mission- 

 aries, a fault very usual among new and zealous 

 converts. 



