Chap. VII. SINCERE REGRETS FOR HIS LOSS. 196 
by the young colony. Warm of heart and strong in 
feelings, he had sturdily resisted all our proposals to 
buy his land, until he became convinced that the re- 
sult would be for the weal of the Maori ; and he had 
greatly affected me, I remembered, by his stirring pic- 
ture of the evils which he expected from the introduc- 
tion of White men into his country. Having once, 
however, made up his mind to receive them, he had 
thrown aside all suspicion of their motives, and had 
applied the whole energy of his character to welcome 
them with kindness and cordiality. The educated 
settlers spoke with delight of his conduct ; and no 
one could reproach him with a harsh word or action 
towards g. White man of any class since their arrival. 
He had entered with vigour into the hardships of the 
first landing, and had held up for emulation among 
his own tribe the name unanimously given to him 
by both races, of " the friend of the White people." 
Though he was only known to them for a very few 
days, the grief for his death was as great among them 
as among the natives ; and his name is to this day one 
which they recollect with affection and reverence. I 
had formed such sanguine hopes of the great useful- 
ness of Piiakawa in leading his people to appreciate 
our kind intentions towards them, and such pleasing 
anticipations of the development of gratitude in so 
generous a mind, as soon as he should be able to per- 
ceive the benefits accruing to him and his descendants 
from our arrival, that I felt his death as the fading 
of a pleasant dream as well as the loss of a valued 
friend. 
A few wanderers from South Australia, New South 
Wales, and Van Diemen's Land, had arrived between 
our departure and my arrival in the Guide ; some 
with Mr. Tod, some in other small schooners and 
o2 
