Chap. VIII. EELS— GLUTTONY OF NEW ZEALANDERS. 266 
rates of sailing. Spirited races sometimes took place 
between two or more canoes for half a mile. We 
pulled along close to the beach, so as often to hold 
conversation with some of the party who had preferred 
walking. 
On arriving at the mouth of the Rangitikei, we 
found rather high breakers on the sand-spits, but were 
directed to a smooth channel by a man on shore, 
who waved his mat in the direction which we were 
to take. 
We stopped at a fishing-village about two miles up 
the north bank of the river, where the sand-banks on 
either side were replaced by extensive swamps, bearing 
a high growth of flax and reeds. We here found 
about fifty of the Ngatiapa, or aboriginal tribe, who 
had provided large stores of food with which to regale 
our party. Encampments were soon made ashore ; 
and we were detained for four days by rain and wind, 
and for two days more by the determination of the 
natives not to move till all the kai was exhausted. 
One of our hosts used to bring to my tent every morn- 
ing a dozen of delicious eels, grilled on a cane passed 
through them lengthways ; and of vegetable food there 
was profusion. 
After the fine weather returned, I had repeatedly 
pressed the chiefs to travel on ; but they had always 
at their fingers' ends excuses for stopping. At length, 
on the afternoon of the 17th, all their stories about 
the land-breeze driving them out to sea, or the sea- 
breeze forcing them on to the coast inhabited by their 
enemies, or bad dreams of the old men, or the freshet 
of the river making the exit dangerous, were fairly 
exhausted, and, what was more to the purpose, the 
taka kai, or ** spread of food," was also drawing to a 
close ; so the two tribes exchanged complimentary 
