Chap. VI. PURCHASE OF DEEDS OF WAIRAU. 135 
We saw nothing of the Roman Catholic Bishop, 
Monseigneur Pompalier, who, we were told, had lately 
bought land for a missionary station on the banks of 
the river, and made many converts. He had been at- 
tacked by both sects of Protestant missionaries in the 
most intolerant manner. 
Colonel Wakefield took formal possession for the 
Company of Herd's Point, and of a district of land 
opposite called Motukaraka, bought of Mr. Macdon- 
nell, in the presence of the original vendors. He then 
sent a messenger over to the Bay of Islands, to procure 
the attendance of Rewa and some of the other chiefs of 
the Ngapuhi tribe, who had made a cession of some land 
on the banks of the Kaipara river to Mr. Macdonnell. 
This gentleman had obtained from the chiefs of the 
Ngapuhi a promise in writing to sell him a tract of 
land on the Kaipara, which they had recently con- 
quered, provided he brought a vessel into that river. 
He had effected this with the Tui, a small schooner 
built at Hokianga ; and his consequent right of pre- 
emption had been bought by the Company. 
We met the chiefs assembled at Hauraki, Mr. Mac- 
donnell's station ; and they confirmed the agreement, and 
deputed a chief named Taonui to go with us to Kai- 
para and show us the land in question. 
Previous to sailing. Colonel Wakefield purchased 
from a lady, representing herself to be the widow of 
Captain Blenkinsopp, some deeds professing to be the 
original conveyances of the plains of TVairau by Rau^ 
peraha, Rangihaeata, and others to that gentleman, 
in consideration of a ship-gun. They were signed with 
elaborate drawings of the moko or tatu on the chiefs' 
faces. 
On the 16th of December, we set sail for Kaipara. 
On the evening of the 18th, we anchored in ten 
