Chap. IX. CESSION OF SOVEREIGNTY. 283 
Williams had not taken pains to acquire the assent of 
more of the chiefs, or of any of those towards Patea and 
the country to the north. 
On inquiring of Turoa whether he understood what 
he had signed, he repeated to me, that my Queen had 
sent him a blanket, and that he had been told to make 
a mark in order to show that he had got it. When 
I explained to him that my Queen had become his also, 
and that she and her Governor were now chiefs over 
him as well as over me, he became very agitated, and 
repeatedly spoke of following Williams in order to 
return the blanket and upbraid him for the deception. 
He finally determined, however, that he must have got 
to Wangaihu by that time, and that he could not catch 
him. " But," said he, " a blanket is no payment for 
** my name. I am still a chief." 
Macgregor, who had taken a great fancy to TKun- 
ganui, and was pressed by the natives to build a house 
there and trade with them, told me that he had stated 
his intention to do so to Mr. Williams ; asking him 
whether, supposing his claim to turn out the best, he 
would not eject him from his location. Mr. Williams 
had answered, that there could be no objection to his 
settling, and that he would answer for his not being 
harshly treated by him when he should take posses- 
sion of his claim. Macgregor then asked me ; and I 
gave him the same assurance on the part of the Com- 
pany. 
About a week after E Kuru^s departure, large bodies 
of natives began to arrive in canoes down the river. As 
they rounded the low point above and came in sight 
of the ship, they would often fire guns, which were 
returned from Piirua. On the ninth day, some men 
in a canoe in advance told me of the near approach of 
E Kuru with his nuinga, or " host," from the JVahi-^ 
