Chap. VI. WAIBOA RIVER. 161 
not tell, before leaving England, where the first set- 
tlement would be formed, and as the emigrants were 
to sail in August, a rendezvous had been appointed at 
this known good harbour for the 10th of January 
1840. Colonel Wakefield therefore determined to 
proceed overland to the Bay of Islands, in order to 
charter a small vessel to take him to Port Hardy, and 
then join us here. 
Before starting, he held some communication with 
the natives of this place, a few of whom were en- 
camped abreast of the ship. They had laughed at 
Taonui and the claim of the Ngapuhi chiefs to sell 
their land for them. They acknowledged that they 
had been conquered in former times, but said that they 
had long returned from their places of refuge, and 
were not disposed to be conquered again. They firmly 
refused even to sell the land in question to Colonel 
Wakefield ; but offered to sell a district on the banks 
of another river, flowing into the north-eastern end of 
the estuary. 
Abandoning the task of examining, and, if of value, 
buying this tract, to Dr. Dorset, whom he left in 
charge of affairs for the Company, Colonel Wakefield 
started in one of our boats up the Tf^airoa river on the 
26th December. He had understood that a day's 
walk from the head of this river would take him to 
the Bay of Islands. E TVare and Saturday accompa- 
nied him, to carry his baggage. Messrs. Heaphy, 
Robinson, and Dorset formed part of the boat's crew, 
in order to see as much as possible of the river. 
I was laid up at this time by inflammation from the 
bites of mosquitoes which I had got in bathing at 
HoManga ; and I gladly accepted Captain Warming's 
kind offer of one of his cabins while the repairs of the 
Tory should go on. 
VOL. I. M 
