1835. 



POM ARE — ESTUARY. 



581 



24th. I went with Mr. Baker to a scattered village, called ' 

 Cawa-cawa. Leaving the ship early, we followed the windings 

 of an estuary which forms Kororareka Harbour, until its shores 

 contracted it to the limits of a fresh-water river. Three good 

 houses on the eastern shore, lately built by respectable English 

 settlers, attracted our notice in passing; and afterwards the 

 ' Pah'^ of Pomare,-[- a well-known chief, appeared like a cattle- 

 enclosure upon a hill. Pomare is the man who killed and ate a 

 part of his female slave, when Mr. Earle was there ; he has 

 still large possessions, and had larger, but has sold much for 

 ammunition, muskets, and spirits. His honourable office at 

 this time was that of supplying the numerous whale-ships 

 which visited the harbour with his slaves ; and he found such 

 an employment of his female vassals answer better than the 

 horrible one well described by Mr. Earle. Dismal alternative ! 

 On board each of the ships we passed there were many of 

 these women ; but before we notice the ' mote,' let us consider 

 the great ' beam,"* — think of what our own seaports were in 

 times of war, and be charitable to the South Sea Islanders. 



Pomare was heard to say that his son would be a greater 

 man than himself : and the New Zealanders in general are im- 

 pressed with the idea that their sons will be better, or greater 

 men, than themselves. 



The estuary, or arm of the sea^ whose windings we were 

 following, forms an excellent harbour for ships not larger than 

 third-class frigates ; or to speak in a more definite manner, 

 for those which do not draw more than seventeen feet of water. 

 On each side the land rises to five or six hundred feet, shel- 

 tering the anchorage without occasioning those violent squalls 

 alternating with calms, that are found under the lee of very 

 high land, over which strong wind is blowing. As far as I 

 know, there are very few shoals or banks in the wide space 

 which forms the inner harbour. A slight stream of current and 



* Or Faa ; by Cook called Hippah. 



t This chief said that his father had adopted the name of ' Pomare,' 

 because he had heard of a very distinguished warrior at Otaheite, who 

 bore that appellation. 



