NEW ZEALAND 67 



lashes to each of the culprits, and when one of 

 them contended obstinately that "it was no crime 

 for an Englishman to rob a native plantation, 

 while it was a crime for an Indian to steal a nail 

 from an Englishman," Cook had him put in the 

 cells, when he emerged only to receive twelve 

 more lashes. 



The Endeavour frequently met native canoes 

 manned by warlike New Zealanders, singing 

 their war-songs with many gesticulations and 

 waving their patu-patus, a sort of double-bladed 

 axe made of greenstone. It was necessary on 

 these occasions to fire the guns to frighten them 

 and put them to flight. One day when this was 

 beginning, Tupia mounted on the poop to ad- 

 dress the islanders, and told them that the 

 strangers had weapons which they would use if 

 attacked. By way of reply, the Maoris brand- 

 ished their axes and cried, "Come ashore, and we 

 will kill you all." "Very well," replied Tupia, 

 "but why worry us when we are on the sea? 

 Since we have no desire to fight, we shall not 

 accept your challenge to land, and you have no 

 reason to quarrel with us, for the sea no more 

 belongs to you than it does to the ship." This 

 wise remark of Tupia's merely had the effect of 

 increasing the menaces of the natives. A shot 

 which penetrated one of their canoes was the 



