Chap. VII. TENT OP AN EASTERN TRAVELLER. 205 
table and writing-desk. At the end furthest from the 
door, a "bunk," or wooden shelf, supported Colonel 
Wakefield's bed. Mine was a cot, placed on the top 
of a pile of musket-cases and soap-boxes against the 
partition. The floor consisted of the natural grey 
shingle which formed the beach ; and the roof, which 
was luckily waterproof, bent and yielded to every puff 
of wind. The plan of tying everything together with 
flax, in both the walls and the roof, makes these Maori 
houses so elastic that no wind can blow them down. 
The thatched walls are highly airy, and a copious ven- 
tilation circulates through them in every direction. 
We had, however, plenty of thick blankets, and used 
to sleep soundly and turn out fresh and hearty at day- 
break. Then a sea-bath was close to the door ; and 
wonders were done in the cooking way by Saturday, 
the Roto ma man, who officiated as Jack-of-all-trades 
until the return of my uncle's servant in the Tory. 
I used also to be constantly in and out of the tent of 
Mr. Henry Moreing, which was close by. This gentle- 
man had formerly travelled in Egypt and India, and 
his double tent was consequently perfect as to order and 
comfort. He had also brought the virtue of hospi- 
tality from the East ; and I ate many a dinner in that 
rude spot, the good points of which might have been 
envied by a European petit-maitre. 
Next to his two tents was the camp of a Mr. Craw- 
ford, who had been one of the first overlanders from 
New South Wales to Adelaide, and who seemed deter- 
mined to "rough it" as roughly as possible. He 
dwelt in a low hut, into which it was necessary to 
crawl, in common with some uncouth-looking Austra- 
lian servants, who made one think at once of bush- 
rangers and banditti. JNIr. Crawford was, however, 
a mate in the navy, and of very good family. About 
this time he bought, for 1300 guineas, five land-orders 
