Hxaprny.—On Port Nicholson and the Natives in 1889. 85 
On another occasion I accompanied a party of natives into the hills, 
near Belmont, to spear pigeons. The spears are about twelve feet long, 
and very slender—not more than half an inch in diameter at thickest part. 
They have to be held near the point, and, on a journey, trailed behind, 
until wanted for immediate use. The pigeons are probably feeding in low 
trees, or are about water-holes, and are scarcely frightened at the approach 
of the hunter, who quietly steals under them, sometimes even ascending 
the lower branches of the tree the bird occupies. The spear is then quietly 
directed amongst the foliage towards the breast of the bird, which takes 
little notice of the operation. When the point is within half a yard, a 
sudden thrust is made, and the bird is transfixed. The point of the weapon 
is of bone, and barbed. This bone is hung securely by a lanyard at its base 
to the spear-head, but when ready for use is lashed with thin thread along- 
side the wood. The wounded bird flutters with such force as would break 
the spear were the whole rigid, but as arranged, the thread breaks, and the 
bird on the barbed bone falls the length of the lanyard, where its strugglings 
do not affect the spear, and it is easily taken by the fowler's left hand. 
This mode of capturing birds, very soon after our arrival, went out of vogue. 
The spears were exceedingly difficult to make, and the few that were finished 
were eagerly bought by the whites as curiosities. 
Our ship lay to the northward of Somes' Island, and frequent trips were 
made of an early morning to haul the fishing-net in Lowry Bay. Large 
trees there overhung the beach, making it a delightful camping-place. We 
were always successful with the net, taking large quantities of kahawai, 
moki, and flounders. 
From this bay the course by boat into the Hutt River, and up the 
. branches into which it divides, was most interesting and picturesque. A 
pa stood at the mouth of the river on the eastern side, with large war- 
canoes drawn.up on the beach, while at the hill-foot were tall stages, from 
which hung great quantities of fish in the process of sun-drying. Here the 
natives came out and hailed the boat's crew to land, for ashore it was 
high festival. Their canoes had come in, the night before, from Island 
Bay, loaded with “ koura,” or cray-fish, which were at the moment cook- 
ing in the “hangi,” or Maori stone-oven, with pumpkins, cabbage, and 
potatoes. 
The natives here were exceedingly apprehensive of an attack on the part 
of the Wairarapa tribe, who, if so disposed, could steal down the wooded 
hills and appear in the cultivations amongst the scattered working parties. 
Only two years previously bloody fights had taken place in the Wairarapa 
Valley, and though peace was ostensibly made with the tribe, reprisals 
from persons or families that had lost relatives might be dreaded. Thus 
