Chap. XIV, SELECTION OF COUNTRY LANDS; 395 
absorbed at high wages in the work of building, gar- 
dening, and fencing; and everybody was well and 
pleasantly employed either in working or superintend- 
ing his workmen. 
It was at this time that a club was formed, called 
the Wakefield Club in honour of Colonel Wakefield. 
The original members were about twenty ; and a small 
house was bought from a settler who had squatted in a 
nook among the hills overlooking the town soon after 
erecting it on his town section close to the water's edge. 
Visitors and travellers were allowed to become hono- 
rary members for three months ; — and at a house- 
dinner held every Saturday a stranger was sure of 
meeting some of the principal colonists ; for the sub- 
scription and entrance-money had been purposely fixed 
at a high sum. A remarkable esprit de corps prevailed 
in this little select society ever since, and Saturday 
soon became for most of the members a tapu day, on 
which no invitation was accepted. 
On the 5th of October, a selection took place of such 
of the country lands as were already surveyed. These 
included thirty sections, of 100 acres each, in the lower 
part of the Hutt valley, twenty-five of which were 
chosen ; and ten between the town and the sea-coast 
to the south, of which four were chosen. Three sec- 
tionists availed themselves of the privilege of fixing on 
any spot along the shores of the harbour, the bounda- 
ries to be marked out hereafter ; and chose, respectively^ 
the valley of the Kai TVara Wara, where " Dog*s- 
" ear's" village stood ; — iV^a hauranga, where JVare- 
pori resided ; — and a block of rough, barren-looking 
hills partially clear of timber, and adjoining the 
northern edge of the broad Belt reserved for public 
purposes all i^pund the town. The 7th, 15th, 20th, 
22nd, and 28th choices, being Native Reserves, were 
