70 ADVENTURE IN NEW ZEALAND. Chap. IV. 
CHAPTER IV. 
Entrance of Port Nicholson — Warepori and JEptmi — History of 
the tribe — Missionary notions — Talk about land — Tangi, or 
crying — Nayti — Excursion round harbour — Speeches as to sale 
of land— ^Native cookery — Mocking-bird — Discussions — Sham- 
fighting — The purchase — Opposition — Vague notions of Natives 
as to ownership of land — No title but occupancy — Distribution 
of payment — Signature of deed — Nicknames — The Huta — Fish 
— Native hook — Preparations for rejoicing — Gathering — Dress 
— War-dance — Haka, or recitative — Feast — Contentment of 
Natives — Nomenclature — Our satisfaction — Sanguine prospects 
— Intentions towards Natives — Hostility of Native missionaries 
— Reasons. 
The coast now forms a semicircular bay, at the north- 
east end of which is the mouth of Port Nicholson. A 
low table-land jutting out into a headland which we 
christened Baring Head, and the bluff end of a ridge 
called Turakirai, which divides Port Nicholson from 
Palliser Bay, form the eastern side of the semicircle. 
The western side slopes down from Sinclair Head into 
bare hills of moderate height, which, with a hilly fern- 
covered peninsula, form the western head of the har- 
bour. The cove, at the head of which is the low sandy 
isthmus joining the peninsula to the main, might be 
mistaken by an inexperienced person for the real 
entrance. Piloted, however, by Dicky Barrett, we 
soon opened out the true channel, which lies between 
a two-headed bluff now called Pencarrow Head, a 
mile inside of Baring Head, and the peninsula. A 
reef of low black rocks is situated about mid-channel ; 
and this seemed, as we approached from the westward, 
to close the passage. We found it, however, a mile in 
