144 TEACHING THE WHTTY MAN. 



315. — We had passed a small herd of lively fat horses on the 

 road to his house, and in his yard we saw pigs, fowls, ducks, 

 geese, and turkeys. In the fields children of all sizes, more or 

 less naked, were pulling away at the teats of some comfortable 

 looking cows. We had no complete knowledge of his language, 

 nor had he of ours, yet we never felt more at home with a man at 

 first sight. We both knew some leading words in the language of 

 the other, and Maorias are so clever both at giving and under- 

 standing signs that it is never difficult to converse with them. 



316. — After a feed of very nice potatoes and peaches, we 

 told our host what we had come for, at which the whole family 

 seemed surprised and pleased, and the women especially laughed 

 very heartily. They remembered all about " Grace Darling," 

 though not by that name, and especially expatiated on her good 

 hoofs. In reply to our inquiries, they told ns that they knew 

 very little about horses, that they had no stable, no yard, no 

 whip, no straps, no breaking tackle of any kind, but they would 

 show us next morning how they caught and broke in " GTrace 

 Darling." 



317. — The chief then gave orders to the women to dress a 

 little native flax, and to plait two very thick strong mats of 

 undressed flax, the use of which in horse breaking we could not 

 understand at all. The women went to work very cheerfully, 

 and were evidently much amused at the curiosity of the " whity 

 man" as to the use of such mats for horse breaking, and in bursts 

 of laughter seemed to enjoy the thought of what we were to be 

 shown in the morning. 



818. — Xext morning the herd of about 50 were driven into 

 an adjoining paddock, and all but two were turned out of the 

 paddock through a gate and across the river. One of the two 

 that had been kept back at the river gate was on old quiet thing 

 that was easily caught, the other appeared a wild unhandled colt. 

 The herd of horses ran up the river on the North side, and the 

 old horse was ridden up inside the paddock at nearly the same 

 pace on the South side, followed of course by the colt. Near the 

 house they were let out of a gateway and went near the river, 

 opposite to where the herd had been stopped. The women and 



