Chap. XII. . AFFECTION OF NATIVES. 369 
for attempting to revive them. The relations of those 
who were expected from Thorndon that night were 
rushing wildly from group to group, the venerable 
clergyman entreating them to hope and resignation, 
and comforting the distressed women in the midst of 
the howling storm ; while the natives, wet and shiver- 
ing from their generous exertions, wailed in their 
customary way on the outskirts of the crowd. E^very 
now and then one of them would rush to me, and 
asking whether " Wide-awake " was in the boat, plunge 
again into the rollers, and dive in ditferent directions 
till he was tired. I had been very anxious about my 
uncle, as he had been over at Thorndon, watching the 
progress of the settlers there, and it was reported that 
he had been one of the party. Under this impression, 
the natives never ceased their laborious search until I 
ascertained from the master of the boat, who was one 
of those fortunately saved, that Colonel Wakefield had 
not been one of his passengers. But I was gratified 
to observe that the sorrow of the natives was no less 
deep and sincere for those colonists of more humble 
class who had suffered than it might have been for 
him whom they still considered the " Chief of the 
" pakeha.^' The tangi, which lasted in the pa during 
the greater part of the night, appeared as heartfelt as 
any of those among themselves, and they seemed to be 
weeping for dear brothers of their own tribe. 
An opinion seemed to be prevalent at this time that 
the whole country was as mountainous as the district 
in the immediate neighbourhood of Port Nicholson. 
Colonel Wakefield therefore determined to despatch 
a party of surveyors by land to Taranaki^ in order that 
their official report of the quantity and quality of land 
observed by them between the two places might dissi- 
pate this unfounded conjecture. The party was to 
VOL. I. 2 B 
