Chap. XVII. PUKIHIKA. 46f 
very cautious of talking politics on the road ; but I 
could not discover whether this arose from his con- 
sciousness of the little weight which attached to his 
opinion as a slave, or whether he thought that I was 
one of the enemy. He was a willing lad, and used 
to work hard enough in digging Mr. Matthews's gar- 
den, cleaning his shoes and knives, and grooming his 
horse, for the sake of his own station at the head of 
the native class. 
PukihiJca is a very extensive pa, or rather a col- 
lection of seven or eight detached ones, on a hill at a 
bend of the river to the westward. It is about seventy 
miles from the sea, and well chosen as a mustering- 
place for the TVanganui tribes living within that dis- 
tance from the coast, in case of attack from TVaikatOy 
Taupo, or the Strait. I found nearly all the mis- 
sionary population gathered here, apparently to con- 
sult over Heuheu^ avowed determination. Messrs. 
Mason and Matthews had pitched their tent in the 
middle of the court-yard in the principal village. I 
returned to my encampment after a short look round. 
Here I found that the war-party had been supplied by 
their relations with an ample fleet of canoes, and that 
they would proceed the next day, by easy stages, to- 
wards the settlement. E Kuru and I preceded them 
in my canoe. 
On arriving at the settlement, I reported my opinion 
that no danger was to be feared, and advised the 
colonists to receive the travellers kindly and hospitably. 
One or two were nevertheless persuaded by the mis- 
sionaries when they came, to carry their valuable goods 
over to the pa at Pidikiwaranui, and leave them in 
charge of the chiefs ; the pa having been newly for- 
tified for fear of an assault. 
The taua, to the number of five hundred, arrived 
2h 2 
