5fi2 ' Marion'' — canoes — traffic. Dec. 



tide runs outwards during about seven hours, and the tide sets 

 inwai-ds about five, tliough with still less strength. At times, 

 the outward stream may run about two knots in the narrow 

 places. Mr. Mair"'s house and shipping-yard, Mr. Clendon''s 

 establishment, and the pleasantly-situated house and garden of 

 Mr. Wright gave an English aspect to the eastern side of the 

 harbour ; while boats passing and ships lying at anchor in an 

 estuary, much resembling one in our own country, prevented 

 the frequent occurrence of a thought, that we were near the 

 Antij)odes ; and that on the western side of the harbour is 

 the ])h!ce where ' Marion' and so many of his crew were mas- 

 sacred, and afterwards eaten ! That horrid catastrophe is now 

 said to have been caused by mutual ignorance of language. 

 The Frenchmen not understanding that the spot was tabooed, 

 persisted in fishing there, and endeavoured to maintain their 

 intrusion by force. 



Canoes met and passed us as we proceeded. It was pleasant 

 to witness the cordial greetings exchanged between most of 

 their occupants and Mr. Baker. All these canoes were going 

 to Kororareka, to sell their cargoes of firewood, potatoes, yams, 

 or pigs. Here and there, by the water-side, we saw a house, or 

 rather hut, with a patch of cleared and cultivated ground, a 

 great pile of firewood, ready for sale, and perhaps a canoe close 

 by, which the native owners were loading with the marketable 

 produce of their land. When the estuary had diminished, and 

 we found ourselves in a fresh-water river, there was much resem- 

 blance to parts of the river at Valdivia ; but the amount of 

 ground under cultivation, and the number of huts scattered 

 over the face of the country and along the banks of the river, 

 were less near Valdivia, exclusive of the town itself, than in this 

 so lately a cannibal country. 



Though on a small scale, the banks of this river are interest- 

 ing and picturesque. On each side, the soil is extremely good 

 on the low grounds, and the hills are well clothed with wood ; 

 they are not high, but approach the river rather closely in 

 some places, so tliat the winding stream, spaces of level and 

 partially cultivated land, and woody heights, are agreeably 



