356 ADVENTURE IN NEW ZEALAND. Chap. XII. 
on the south bank. To the north the horizon seemed 
unbounded. Near the small dock-yard, forests of large 
timber l>egan to line the banks ; and in one of the 
finest groves we perceived the skeleton of a small ves- 
sel on the stocks, two reed-huts, a pig-sty, and a saw- 
pit. Captain Lewis and his brother, now looking more 
like Yankee backwoodsmen than whalers, a sawyer, a 
carpenter, and their native wives and relations, greeted 
our arrival. 
After inspecting the little clipper, which was about 
thirty tons burthen, we sat down to the usual meal of 
pork and potatoes, and spun yams till bed-time. The 
night was warm and calm, and I spread my blankets 
outside the huts, as our party was rather numerous. 
The next day, I returned to the^a at the mouth of 
the river, accompanied by young Lewis, who was to 
fetch some pigs from Rangitikei j on one side of which 
river the Ngatiraukawa had settlements, while the 
other was inhabited by the Ngatiapa, who received me 
with the Wanganui fleet in April. We passed two or 
three native gardens on our way to the mouth, and at 
one spot landed to see a chief of some consequence, 
named Tai Kapurua, or " Full tide." He was very 
rough and repulsive in his manners ; although grey 
hair and a long white beard combined with his large 
stature to give him a dignified appearance, as he sat 
among his wives and relations near the bank. He 
evidently took me for one of the traders from Kapltit 
who often came to buy provisions here, and said, im- 
mediately that I landed, " Go on to the sea ; I have 
" no pigs." I explained to him, however, that I came 
to make his acquaintance, and not to deal with him ; 
but I could not prevail upon him to relax in his manner, 
even by a present of a small piece of tobacco, which he 
received as though merely his due ; so I shouted the 
