TE RAUPARAHA AND RANGIHAEATA. 
543 
have liked to draw it out.* The pa was on a mound, the 
only one in the vicinity, and strongly fortified in the native 
style, with thick lofty posts deeply sunk in the ground, and 
bound together with a huohua , or connecting pole, running 
round, at the height of about ten feet from the ground. 
Inside the outer fence there was another, behind which the 
defenders could post themselves, and take aim through the 
outer one. The pa was divided into a number of small 
courts, each equally well defended, and connected by very 
narrow passages. We found the Chief with his wives and 
head men assembled in the chief court, or marae, sitting on 
mats in front of his house ; fresh fern was strewed on the 
ground, and new mats laid on it for us, we were received 
with great respect, and welcomed with a loud haeremai , we 
sat down on the Chief's right hand, and conversed on 
various subjects, until we were invited to enter a neighbour- 
ing house, where no one followed us, except a neatly-dressed 
and good-looking lady, who was appointed to wait upon us, 
according to Maori etiquette; there was a kind of table 
formed of two boxes, one placed on the other, with a new 
red blanket thrown over it, and a form similarly covered in 
regal style ; on the table was placed a dish of good fresh- 
baked cakes, another containing sugar, a knife, spoon, and 
two basins, one nearly allied to a wash-hand basin in size. 
The lady then brought a tea-kettle, and filled our cups with 
an infusion of mint, which she called tea; the wash-hand 
basin was, of course, placed before the representative of 
Majesty, who viewed with dismay its enormous capacity, 
which being given him from respect, he could not well avoid 
draining to the bottom ; after enjoying the Governor's per- 
plexity, when the lady left the room, I emptied the contents 
of our bowls into a calabash, from which our natives were 
drinking ; our repast being ended, we returned to the Chief, 
and sat by his side. The Governor requested me to ask the 
Chief to sell land, which I respectfully declined doing, he 
* Poroutawao means the remains of a bird caught in a snare, and partly- 
consumed by dogs, in the wilderness ; but the common pronunciation Puru 
tawa bears the signification given. 
