186 ADVENTURE IN NEW ZEALAND. Chap. VH. 
hausted, and then fall fast asleep across the path, in 
order that they might wake him when they came up. 
In this way he proceeded from daylight till dark. 
On the third day, at noon, he reached a settlement, 
where he was greeted with the most friendly demon- 
strations. He disappointed the chiefs by not stopping 
to eat a meal which they had prepared for him, as he 
had to push on past the first settlement on the Kawa- 
kawa, or "Bitter" river, whose inhabitants, all mis- 
sionaries, were gone on that day (Sunday, 29th 
December) to the Church mission station at Paihia, 
or " Good Desire," in the Bay of Islands. At a more 
distant settlement on another river also flowing into 
that harbour, however, he found a party of converts to 
the Roman Catholic religion, starting in a canoe to 
Bishop Pompalier's chapel. They received him joy- 
fully with songs and salutes of musketry, which they 
said the Bishop allowed on Sunday. They professed 
themselves much pleased with the creed which they 
had adopted ; saying that they got presents for attend- 
ing the chapel, and displaying the crosses and relics 
which were hung in their ears. 
Arrived at Kororareka, the principal White settle- 
ment. Colonel Wakefield found twenty sail of whalers 
and other vessels lying in the bay ; among which were 
many French and Americans, and one Portuguese 
manned by a British crew. On landing, he found 
an hotel, at which twenty persons came to dine at the 
table d'hote. He described the little town as well 
kept, and surrounded with neat wooden cottages ; a 
great contrast, as he was assured, to its appearance a 
year before, when three grog-shops alone stood on the 
beach, to deter visitors from approaching. 
After some trouble and negotiation, he managed to 
charter the Guide, which had just returned from an 
