Chap. VIII. GRATITUDE OF NATIVES FOR BOOKS. 231 
dull and almost deserted ; some of the people being at 
Sydney, some at various places about the Strait. I 
was much struck by the gratitude of some of the 
young natives here, to whom I gave some Maori 
hymn and prayer books. They had been complaining 
that they had to pay pigs or potatoes in order to get 
any from the White missionary at W^aikanae ; and I 
had fortunately got a few among my baggage, which 
Mr. Bumby had been kind enough to give me at Ho- 
kianga. Immediately upon their distribution, these 
youths seized my hand and placed it on their heads. 
Though I could not precisely understand the meaning 
of this ceremony, their faces expressed thanks too sin- 
cerely to be mistaken. I could have wished to have 
been more amply supplied with these publications ; 
but, unfortunately, the hostility of the Missionary 
Societies in London had been carried to such an 
extent as to refuse either sale or gift of a single copy 
of any of their publications in the Maori language, or 
Grammars and Vocabularies, to a person sent by the 
Company to request a supply for our expedition. I 
rejoiced to think that a printing-press, which had been 
brought out in the Adelaide by Mr. Samuel Kevans, 
might soon be made a means of gaining the friendship 
of our book-loving friends. 
On the 23rd, Konatu and two or three other boys 
came over in a canoe to tell me that Mangi had 
arrived. I therefore bade adieu to my friends at 
Kapitiy and returned to TVmkanae. It was too late, 
however, to proceed to TVanganui ; so I went out 
shooting again, after paying my respects to Rangi, 
whose numerous retinue gave the little village a busy 
appearance. 
In the morning I gave him a pair of blankets and 
some other little presents in return for the loan of the 
