1770 HEPPAHS CHIEF OR KING 249 



in small parties in the neighbouring creeks and coves, 

 employed either in taking fish or collecting fern roots, etc., 

 a large quantity of which they bring back with them, a 

 reserve, I suppose, for times when the neighbourhood of an 

 enemy or other circumstances make the procuring of fresh 

 provision difficult or dangerous. 



Of these forts or towns we saw many ; indeed, the 

 inhabitants constantly lived in such, from the westernmost 

 part of the Bay of Plenty to Queen Charlotte's Sound ; but 

 about Hawke's Bay, Poverty Bay, Tegadu and Tolaga, there 

 were none, and the houses were scattered about. There 

 were, indeed, stages built upon the sides of hills, sometimes 

 of great length, which might serve as a retreat to save their 

 lives at the last extremity and nothing else, but these were 

 mostly in ruins. Throughout all this district the people 

 seemed free from apprehension, and as in a state of profound 

 peace ; their cultivations were far more numerous and 

 larger than those we saw anywhere else, and they had a 

 far greater quantity of fine boats, fine clothes, fine carved 

 work ; in short, the people were far more numerous, and 

 lived in much greater affluence, than any others we saw. 

 This seemed to be owing to their being joined together 

 under one chief or king, as they always called Teratu, who 

 lives far up in the country. 1 



It is much to be lamented that we could get no further 

 knowledge of this chief or king than his name only ; his 

 dominions are for an Indian monarch certainly most exten- 

 sive. He was acknowledged for a length of coasts of up- 

 wards of eighty leagues, and yet we do not know the western 

 limits of his dominions ; we are sure, however, that they 

 contain the greatest share of the rich part of the northern- 

 most island, and that far the greatest number of people 

 upon it are his subjects. Subordinate to him are lesser 

 chiefs, who seem to have obedience and respect paid them 



1 The people who mentioned Teratu to us pointed, as we thought, always 

 inland ; but since the country has been laid down upon paper, it appears that 

 over the land in that direction lies the Bay of Plenty ; from hence it appears 

 probable that this is the residence of Teratu, and, if so, the country inland 

 will probably be found to be quite void of inhabitants. [Note by Banks. ] 



