Chap. XVII. MICKEY KNIGHT. 451 
committed the most daring robberies both there and in 
the Frith of the Thames, and then travelled by the 
lakes of Rotoriia and Taupo, and this river, to the 
settlement. I did not of course learn this part of 
their history until long afterwards. One of them, an 
American named M'Leod, had assumed the name of 
Mickey Knight, and got engaged by my agent as car- 
penter to the establishment. He was a first-rate 
workman, and had excited general praise by the execu- 
tion of some tables and benches for the house, and a 
set of gates for the fence of the yard. He spoke the 
native language very well, had with him a native 
wife from the Thames, and had been tatued from the 
knees to the hips at the Navigator Islands. Having 
an easy address and off-hand manner, he had intro- 
duced himself to the acquaintance of Mr. Carrington, 
the Assistant-Surveyor, and of a gentleman lately 
arrived from England who was living in his house. 
They soon began to tell every one that Mickey had 
received an education far above his station, and pos- 
sessed an inexhaustible fund of information which 
merited for him the treatment of a companion. When 
he had effectually worked himself into their confidence 
and familiarity, he took advantage of their absence 
from home and a dark night, to break into a writing- 
desk which contained neaiiy fifty pounds in gold. 
One of the surveying-men, however, who was asleep 
in the next room, heard the noise, and saw him de- 
camp with the desk under his arm ; and Mr. Nil)lett, 
the owner of the money, attended by a large number 
of natives from the pa, where he had been talking with 
them, gave chase. The culprit was captured, after 
his arm had been broken by a blow with a paddle 
from his pursuer, and half the money was found on 
his track. He was a prisoner in my house when I 
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