Heaphy. — O71 Port Xicholson and the Natives in 1839. 35 



On another occasion I accompanied a party of natives into the hills, 

 near Belmont, to spear pigeons. The spears are ahout 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 fiightened 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 struggliugs 

 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, makuig 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 Eiver, 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. Thek 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 j)reviously bloody fights had taken place in the Wairarapa 

 Valley, and though peace was ostensibly made with the tribe, reprisals 

 from persons or famihes that had lost relatives might be di-eaded. Thus 



