Chap. HI. .^T'. " NELSON " COLONY, "W 
state of ^f^anganui, through the absence of any authorized 
person to restrain the excesses of the lawless vagabonds 
who infested that part of the country, in order that he 
might lay it before the Governor. His Excellency, in 
consequence, sent for me, and requested me to become a 
Magistrate, together with three other gentlemen living 
at that place. He also assured me that Mr. Dawson 
would include ff^anganui in his itinerary visits about 
Cook's Strait : and that he hoped these measures, and 
the appointment of a small constabulary force, would 
allay the evil. I had felt much reluctance in allowing 
my name to be included in the commission of the 
peace, not unmindful of the dismissal of two gentlemen 
for the free expression of their political opinions. But 
as I had hitherto carefully avoided any active expres- 
sion of my opinion on local politics, lest my relation- 
ship to Colonel Wakefield should be used to accuse me 
of undue prejudice in favour of the Company, I was 
persuaded to accept the appointment, in the hope of 
doing some good to my favourite settlement. 
On the 28th, a fast brig arrived from Plymouth in 
93 days, beating in at night under double-reefed top- 
sails against a strong gale. This was the Arrow, a 
store-ship forming one of the preliminary expedition of 
the proposed " Nelson" colony. She announced that 
two barques, containing the rest of the pioneers, might 
be daily expected, having sailed in company with her. 
It was proposed to found this colony on some part of 
the Middle Island. At first restricted to the territory 
claimed by the Company in right of its original pur- 
chases, its projectors had been afterwards allowed by 
Lord John Russell to fix on any other site which, if 
found more convenient, might meet with the approval 
of the Governor. 
On the 8th of September, the Will Watch arrived, 
f2 
