Chap. X. DRILLING OF COLONISTS. 297 
and was a good sample of the integrity of feeling upon 
which the colonists depended for a sound maintenance 
of the infant Constitution : — 
"As it is intended to occupy no more than one hour 
" in each week in this muster of the armed inhabitants, 
" the object of which is to assure the minds of all 
" persons of the existence of an adequate force for the 
" preservation of order, it is believed that all who feel 
" interested in the protection of life and property, as 
" well as in upholding the power and authority of the 
" British race, will make it a point of honour to attend 
" and answer to their names, when called upon the 
" nmster-roU, with such arms as they may be in the 
" possession of: and it is expected that the employers 
" will make no deduction from the wages of those 
** employed by them, for the small portion of time that 
" may be taken from the day's labour for the discharge 
" of an important public duty." 
The natives had been apprised of this contemplated 
arrangement, and had expressed unfeigned satisfaction. 
It was proposed that they also should be gradually 
induced to train, and the chiefs so instructed in the 
duties of officers, that the two races might eventually 
mingle in the ranks of the militia, as well as in our 
other social institutions. They did not fail to appre- 
ciate the security from the attacks of the Ngatikahu- 
himit or other hostile tribes which we should all 
acquire. 
On the afternoon, however, of the day on which I 
had arrived at Pitune, an agent of the British Govern- 
ment arrived in the harbour ; and these merely provi- 
sional measures were of course at an end. A boat 
from Thbrndon brought the news to Pttone at night,, 
that the Integrity had returned, bearing Lieutenant 
Shortland the Colonial ^ecreUiry, a detachment of 
