ati ADVENTURE IN NEW ZEALAND. Chap. XI. 
and washing, the uncle or father would often take 
away the delinquent and bring another more fitted to 
perform his part of the bargain. The whaler's part 
consisted in a payment made on the completion of the 
bargain, and in a certain degree of indulgence to the 
begging visits of his new relations during the season. 
This provision appears to be looked upon as a necessary 
one by the headsmen ; and doubtless contributes 
much to the cleanliness, steadiness, and good order oi 
the men. The duty of the wahine is to get up an 
hour before daybreak ; cook the breakfast and arrange 
what her lord means to take in the boat, which ought 
to start before the day ; wash and mend his clothes ; 
keep the house in order ; and prepare his supper for 
his return. Then upon her reposes the task of grant- 
ing hospitality to the traveller while the master of the 
house is away. And to these she often adds the \o- 
luntary one of exposing herself to the brutality of the 
latter and his companions, excited by her attempts to 
dissuade him from the drunken orgies and wild scenes 
of combat which frequently succeed the return from 
the chase. ITiese whalers' wives are generally distin- 
guished by a strong affection for their companion ; are 
very quick in acquiring habits of order and cleanli- 
ness ; facilitate the intercourse between the whalers 
and their own countrymen ; and often manage to ob- 
tain a strong influence over the wild passions of the 
former. Wives in everything but the ceremony, 
many of them l)ecome so formally on the arrival of an 
English clergyman in the neighbourhood. They 
form a very pleasing part of the picture, assisting in 
the civilization of their own countrymen by showing 
their esteem for the estimable qualities of the half- 
civilized man, while they partly succeed in softening 
and destroying those blameable features in his rough 
