18 ADVENTURE IN NEW ZEALAND. Chap. II. 
return on board, and prepare the ship for an emer- 
gency. The guns were shotted, the crew armed, 
sentries placed at the gangways, and a spring put 
on the cable so that the ship's broadside might be 
brought to bear on the beach where the natives were 
encamped. During these preparations, one or two 
large war-canoes came round the northern point of 
the cove, and dashed in to the beach at great speed, 
the rowers singing in time with their paddles. A 
single canoe, full of natives, now came off to the ship. 
As they silently paddled round the stern, we observed 
that some carried their tomahawks and green-stone 
clubs or meri ponamu. The others kept their blankets 
and mats wrapped over everything but their heads. 
Our original persecutor was the first who attempted 
to ascend the ladder, tomahawk in hand ; but he was 
startled to find at the top a sentry with musket and 
bayonet, and my uncle, who quietly but firmly told 
him to go ashore, and that he would allow no natives 
to come on board armed. " Dogskin," as we had nick- 
named him from his wearing a mat of that material, 
seemed inclined to persist in his intention of getting 
on deck ; but the sight of the end of a pistol sticking 
out of my uncle's coat-pocket suddenly made him 
change his mind; and he descended into the canoe, 
which pulled slowly back to the shore. A smaller 
canoe next came off, with only a boy paddling, and 
an old chief whom we had not yet seen, who showed 
that he was unarmed, and requested to be allowed to 
come on board. This was complied with ; and the 
old gentleman introduced himself as Te TJ^etu, or 
** the Star." He told us that he came from Rangitoto, 
which we afterwards discovered to be in D'Urville's 
Island, and that he was waiting in a bay north of 
Cannibal Cove for fair weather to cross the strait to 
