254 ADVENTURE IN NEW ZEALAND. Chap. Vm. 
stream wliere it flows over the yielding sand of the 
beach. I then sat down on a log of drift-wood to 
await the arrival of my boys, whom I had left far 
behind with their heavy burthens. The natives of 
the place crowded round me, and entreated me to stop 
there for the night. They " had cooked food for the 
" White man," they said, " as soon as they saw him 
" come round the point." When the boys came up, 
they said they were tired and hungry, and so I agreed 
to take up my quarters here. A shout of joy followed 
my decision, and a dozen competitors vied for the task 
of recrossing the river with me, as I had given a 
small scrap of tobacco to the one who had first volun- 
teered his services. It was in the pa on the south side 
of the river that a house had been prepared for me. 
This village was called Te-O^ and consisted of about a 
dozen houses. It was situated on a point of land 
twenty feet above the bank of the river, which flowed 
round it on three sides. Opposite, on a perpendicular 
cliff 200 feet high, which hung over the river, was 
the main joa, called Tihoe. The river was called 
JVenuakura, or *' Land of Plumage." 
I was shown into a ware umu, which had been care- 
fully carpeted with fresh fern ; my boys deposited their 
loads inside ; and the gaping crowd gathered round 
the narrow door. A chief named Ngakumu (who did 
not appear, however, to possess much influence) kept 
them from pressing too close, and occasionally reproved 
them for attempting to crowd in. The Maori expres- 
sion for " Get out of the way!" is simply Port! " it is 
** dark!", thus answering somewhat to the Irishman's 
*' Stand out o' my daylight !" 
In travelling among strange natives, there is nothing 
more disagreeable than their habit of crowding round 
a stranger. In these cases, a good-humoured joke has 
