1770 HEPPAHS—CHIEF OR KING 249 
in small parties in the neighbouring creeks and coves, 
employed either in taking fish or collecting fern roots, etc., 
a large quantity of which they bring back with them, a 
reserve, I suppose, for times when the neighbourhood of an 
enemy or other circumstances make the procuring of fresh 
provision difficult or dangerous. 
Of these forts or towns we saw many; indeed, the 
inhabitants constantly lived in such, from the westernmost 
part of the Bay of Plenty to Queen Charlotte's Sound; but 
about Hawke’s Bay, Poverty Bay, Tegadu and Tolaga, there 
were none, and the houses were scattered about. There 
were, indeed, stages built upon the sides of hills, sometimes 
of great length, which might serve as a retreat to save their 
lives at the last extremity and nothing else, but these were 
mostly in ruins. Throughout all this district the people 
seemed free from apprehension, and as in a state of profound 
peace; their cultivations were far more numerous and 
larger than those we saw anywhere else, and they had a 
far greater quantity of fine boats, fine clothes, fine carved 
work ; in short, the people were far more numerous, and 
lived in much greater affluence, than any others we saw. 
This seemed to be owing to their being joined together 
under one chief or king, as they always called Zeratu, who 
lives far up in the country.’ 
It is much to be lamented that we could get no further 
knowledge of this chief or king than his name only; his 
dominions are for an Indian monarch certainly most exten- 
sive. He was acknowledged for a length of coasts of up- 
wards of eighty leagues, and yet we do not know the western 
limits of his dominions; we are sure, however, that they 
contain the greatest share of the rich part of the northern- 
most island, and that far the greatest number of people 
upon it are his subjects. Subordinate to him are lesser 
chiefs, who seem to have obedience and respect paid them 
1 The people who mentioned Teratu to us pointed, as we thought, always 
inland ; but since the country has been laid down upon paper, it appears that 
over the land in that direction lies the Bay of Plenty ; from hence it appears 
probable that this is the residence of Teratu, and, if so, the country inland 
will probably be found to be quite void of inhabitants. [Note by Banks.] 
