Chap. III. DINNER TO CAPTAnsr WAKEFIELD, ETC. 69 
I went on board the ship as she came in ; and was 
much pleased to greet among the crew, besides my dear 
and good uncle, several younger relations and school- 
fellows who had engaged as subordinates in the survey- 
ing staff of the new settlement. 
On the 20th, a public dinner was given to comme- 
morate the arrival of the expedition. The honoured 
guests were Captain Wakefield and Captain Liardet, 
and two officers of the French corvette lying at Akaroa, 
who had come up to buy provisions for their country- 
men settled there. Seventy of the elite of the colony 
sat down, the chair having been taken by Dr. Evans. 
I shall not relate all the toasts which paid the due 
tx)mpliments to our guests, or proved our eager welcome 
of the new colonists who were about to join us on so 
large a scale. " Epuni, TP^arepori, and the Chiefs of 
** Port Nicholson" were not forgotten, although they had 
escaped the notice of Captain Hobson. But when the 
chairman, without comment, proposed "the Governor 
" of New Zealand," only about half-a-dozen persons 
besides the Company's officers rose to do honour to the 
toast, and made a feeble attempt to raise a cheer, which 
was drowned in the respectful silence of the great body 
of independent settlers, who sat still with their empty 
glasses upturned on the board. 
A selection of lands at IVan^anui having been fixed 
for the 27th, I joined with two other gentlemen to 
charter the Gem, a schooner of 80 tons ; and obtained 
freight and passengers enough just to cover our ex- 
penses. The rough weather delayed our departure for 
some days ; and we postponed the trip for one day 
longer in order to attend this dinner. The Surveyor- 
General of the Company, Captain Smith, had started 
by land some days before to superintend the selection ; 
and had been followed by two or three land-agents and 
sectionists. As the principal portion of the selectors 
