IN WHAT MANNER ABOLISHED. 245 
Mrs. Shepherd, who was very ill. When within a 
few hundred yards of the settlement, I saw a great 
number of natives on the beach, busily engaged in 
preparing a new net. They would not allow me 
to pass ; as the sea, for a great distance round, was 
tapued, on account of the work in which they were 
engaged. I had, therefore, to turn back ; having 
only a boat’s crew of little boys, and they were 
afraid : I, however, determined to return the next 
day, and to pass, let them make what opposition 
they would ; as it will never do to allow them, 
without opposition, thus to tapu the sea, and block 
up our way. The next day, September 22d, with 
Mr. Kemp, Mrs. Hamlin, and her baby, I left Ke- 
rikeri for Rangihoua. We took with us a strong 
boat’s crew : the first opposition we met with, was 
in the river ; but the natives soon gave way here, 
and allowed us to pass unmolested. When we 
arrived off Rangihoua, the people there began to 
prepare for opposing us. We would not listen to 
them ; but told our boys to row with all speed, 
that we might arrive at the beach before the na- 
tives could come round upon us. The moment we 
landed, they made a rush upon the boat ; fought 
with our crew ; snatched up Mrs. Hamlin’s infant, 
and ran up the hill with it ; took a bottle of medi-^ 
cine which I had with me for Mrs. Shepherd, and 
drank it ; and ran away with a pot of preserves, 
the contents of which they swallowed. One of 
Mr. Shepherd’s boys received a severe wound on 
the head. Mrs. King fainted on the beach ; and 
