Chap. XI. NATIVE CUSTOM OF PLUNDER. 309 
pitably in his hut, and described himself as highly 
amused in his new pursuit. He was an old traveller, 
and had seen many countries and people ; but he was 
most pleased with the eccentricities of the " whaling 
" mob" which he had to rule, and which he ruled very 
well. He got on very well with the natives too, hav- 
ing been recommended to the especial protection of 
Rang'ihaeata by his landlord Toms. The chief did 
protect the station from any other annoyance than his 
own ; only exacting a kind of black-mail in return on 
his frequent trips from Mana, 
I went one day with the Captain, as the whalers 
never failed to call him, to Koroiwa, a small settle- 
ment on the main opposite Mana. The leader of a 
whaling -station established at this place had been 
lately drowned in attempting to land through a heavy 
surf on the neighbouring coast. The natives had as- 
sembled from Mana and other places near to scramble 
for the property of the defunct, according to a very 
common native custom, and Rangihaeata had, as usual, 
come in for the lion's share. Some of the whalers 
intended to apply for the interference of the authorities 
in Port Nicholson. From the heights above the 
beach I witnessed a spirited chase after a whale, which 
extended far to seaward of the island. 
On another occasion I accompanied my host in an 
amphibious excursion round the north-east arm of the 
harbour. We had a canoe with us, but waded over 
some of the numerous creeks when walking along parts 
of the beach. The country is exceedingly pretty, and 
the hills moderate in height and steepness. Many 
small valleys, through which streams flow into the 
bay, afford very desirable spots for settlements. But 
few little nooks were at this time appropriated to native 
cultivations. 
