580 



WAinPOAKA— VICIOUS SETTLERS. 



Dec. 



without shuddering. Being told in the evening, that " before 

 morning their house would be in flames and that " stones 

 were heating for the oven in which they themselves were to be 

 cooked,*" was a quieting farewell, from a mob of angry na- 

 tives, on more than one occasion. But Mr. King always found 

 a trusty friend in a chief, whose name has been often noticed — 

 ' Waripoaka.' I met him near the house, in company with a 

 young chief, whose sense of propriety was so delicate that he 

 would not appear before Mrs. King, because he was not dressed 

 ' well enough ! ' Waripoaka was satisfied with his own attire, 

 and went with us. To my prejudiced eye, the dress of the 

 young man, a mat, or mantle of the country, loosely wrapped 

 around a fine figure, appeared far more suitable than the long- 

 tailed old coat, thread-bare pantaloons, and worn-out hat, which 

 utterly disguised and disfigured the old chief. 



Mr. King's son talked of his sheep, and I found that though 

 not more than eighteen or twenty, he was already a farmer, 

 possessing land and a flock of sheep. Returning by a different 

 route, we landed upon an island lately bought from the natives 

 by two persons who had been masters of whale-ships. 



This island, purchased for a trifling price, will become very 

 valuable, as the trade to the Bay of Islands increases ; and I 

 regretted to see a spot of such future consequence in the hands 

 of men, whose verbal attacks upon the missionaries, and illiberal 

 aspersions of Mr. Busby's character, disgusted me so much 

 that I had hardly patience to make the inquiries which were 

 the object of my visit ; or to wait while Mr. Baker told them 

 of a plan which was in contemplation among the settlers, for 

 the prevention, or at least restriction, of the sale of spirits. 



Such men as these, strongly prejudiced, deaf to reason, and 

 too often habitually vicious; run-away convicts, whose characters 

 may be imagined ; and democratic seceders from regular govern- 

 ment, cause the principal difficulties against which honest, 

 upright settlers, and the whole missionary body, have to con- 

 tend. One of the men, whose share in the property of the island 

 I have been regretting, was partly intoxicated while we were 

 with him ; but Waripoaka, who accompanied us, significantly 

 warned me of his state as I entered the house. 



