72 ADVENTURE IN NEW ZEALAND. Chap. IV. 
northern end of the harbour, about eight miles from 
the reef, while the hilly shores of the eastern side con- 
tinue nearly straight to the mouth of the valley ; thus 
leaving the upper part of the great btisin four or five 
miles in width. In this upjier part lie the two islands, 
Ijehind the largest and most northerly of which we 
anchored at the distance of half-a-mile from the sandy 
beach at the valley's mouth. Epuni eagerly inquired 
the motive of our visit, and expressed the most marked 
satisfaction on hearing that we wished to buy the place, 
and bring white })eople to it. IVarepon also expressed 
his willingness to sell the land, and his desire of seeing 
white men come to live upon it. 
When the followers of Epuni and TVarepori formed 
part of the extensive migration from Taranaki about 
the year 1834, they found this district occupied by the 
Ngatimutvnga, who had been allied with Raupei-aha 
during his invasion and conquest of the Strait. Tired, 
however, by the constant incursions of the N gatikahu- 
himUj the tribe who had been driven by them to the 
east coast, but not exterminated, the J^gatimutunga de- 
termined to seek a new location. They partly forced 
and partly paid the captain of an English vessel to 
carry them to the Chatham Islands, which they con- 
quered and occupied. Before they departed, E Mare, 
their head chief, formally ceded the place to PP^arepori in 
exchange for some clubs of green-stone or inert ponamu. 
The Ngatiawa had since that period been much 
harassed by parties of the old occupants, and also by 
invasions from Rateperahas " boiling-water" allies, who 
had sometimes come overland down the northern valley 
which I have noticed. 
The two chiefs passed the night on board. They told 
us that the schooner of which we had heard had left 
some native missionary teachers, and that, in compliance 
