MS ADVENTURE IN NEW ZEALAND. Chap. XIL 
other chiefs had got possession of a considerable part 
of the property. The IVigate sailed away on her return 
to the Bay of Islands the same evening, beating out in 
the dark against a fresh south-east breeze, with her 
boats holding lights on the extremities of the reefs. 
News had been heard of the arrival of a ship-load of 
cattle in Cloudy Bay, with the agent of a Sydney firm, 
who claimed the Wairau plains near that place. They 
had written to Colonel Wakefield, informing him that 
they held the original of the deed by which Rauperaha, 
Rangihaeata, and other chiefs, had made that district 
over to Captain Blenkinsopp many years before. So 
that it appeared that the deed sold to Colonel Wake- 
field at Hokianga by his widow was possibly only a 
copy. The agent, Mr. Wilton, had, however, been 
prevented from driving his cattle on to the plains by 
our old friends the Cloudy Bay natives, who denied the 
sale altogether ; and the cattle were running, by suf- 
ferance, on the hills close to Port Underwood. 
A public meeting of the colonists had been held on 
the 1st of July, for the purpose of voting an address to 
Lieutenant-Governor Hobson. Colonel Wakefield had 
presided at this meeting, and had been unanimously 
called upon to proceed to the Bay of Islands for the 
purpose of presenting the address to his Excellency. 
The utmost loyalty and good feeling had reigned over 
the assembly, whose sentiments cordially chimed in 
with those of the Directors of the Company. The Di- 
rectors, without assuming any power of controlling the 
settlers, had conveyed to them, by means of the dis- 
patches brought in the Brougham, an earnest hope that 
they would render every assistance and co-operation in 
contributing to the success of Captain Hobson 's mis- 
sion. The address, which was unanimously adopted, 
was couched in the most loyal terms. While it ap- 
