W. T. L. Travers. — The Life and Times of Te Kauparaha. 31 



" Heemskirk " on their guard, and to direct them not to place too much trust 

 upon the good intentions of their visitors. The men in the shallop were at 

 once attacked by the savages, and, being without arms, three of them were 

 killed, the remaining four fortunately escaping by rowing for their lives. 

 Tasman intended to have taken revenge for this murderous assault, but was 

 compelled to leave without doing so, in consequence of rough weather coming 

 on. It is probable that the people, by whom his boat's crew was attacked, 

 belonged either to the Ngaitahu tribe — who, under the leadership of their 

 ancestor Tahu, a chief of the Ngatikahungunu, crossed Cook Straits nearly 

 three hundred years ago — or to the Rangitane and Ngatiajja, large numbers of 

 whom also crossed Cook Straits some time before Tasman's visit, and took 

 part in the destruction of the Ngatimamoe and other tribes which had 

 previously occupied the northern parts of the Middle Island ; but I am unable 

 to determine this point. It is clear, however, that the number of natives then 

 living in Massacre Bay was large, and that they exhibited the same fearless 

 and ferocious character which led to such frequent hostile collisions with them, 

 during the visits of subsequent voyagers. Our next accounts are derived from 

 our own navigator. Cook, who had been directed to follow out the discoveries 

 of Tasman regarding New Zealand and Yan Dieman's Land, in order to 

 ascertain whether they constituted part of the then little known continent of 

 Australia. In October 1769, Cook first made land at a place which he named 

 Poverty Bay. He did not then know that he had fallen in with the Staaten 

 Land of Tasman, and the country he had found formed the subject of much 

 eager discussion amongst the voyagers, the general opinion inclining to the 

 belief, that it was part of the continent of Australia. He described the 

 country in the neighbourhood of his land fall as being thickly peopled, and 

 was greatly struck with the appearance of a pa, the use of which he was 

 unable at the time to conceive. " Upon a small peninsula, at the north-east 

 head of the bay, we could plainly see," he says, "a pretty high and regular 

 paling, which enclosed the whole top of the hill, which was the subject of much 

 speculation, some supposing it to be a park for deer, others an enclosure for 

 oxen and sheep." Of course, Cook soon afterwards discovered the nature of 

 these structures, which will be fully referred to in the sequel, and which had 

 nothing to do either with deer, oxen, or sheep. Having landed for the 

 purpose of watering the ship, his people were at once attacked with spears and 

 " a sort of war hatchet of green slate, capable of splitting the hardest skull 

 at a blow." Notwithstanding all his efforts to conciliate, he found it impos- 

 sible to come to any amicable understanding with the natives, even though 

 Tupia (his interpreter) assured them that no harm was intended ; and 

 his seamen at last only effected their retreat in safety, after killing one of their 

 assailants. The next day he again endeavoured to open friendly intercourse 



