112 ADVENTimE IN NEW ZEALAND Chap. IV. 
ness of Mr. Niblett, we heard no tidings of them ; 
and I proceeded to get the invalid carried there by a 
device suggested by the new-comers, who had often 
seen it practised on the east coast. A litter was 
soon constructed of stout poles and plaited flaxen straps, 
and four natives were hired to relieve each other as 
porters. 
The day before starting, I went to take my formal 
leave of old Heuheu^ pursuant to his request. After 
the usual greetings had passed, he told me at once that 
he suspected that our two parties had met, one from 
Poniki and the other from TVaitemata (Auckland), 
to consult over his land, with a view to buy it or even 
seize it forcibly at a later season. " If this be your 
wish," said he, " go back and tell my words to the 
people who sent you. I am king here, as my fathers 
were before me, and as King George and his fathers 
have been over your country. I have not sold my 
chieftainship to the Governor, as all the chiefs round 
the sea-coast have done, nor have I sold my land. I 
will sell neither. A messenger was here from the 
Governor to buy the land the other day, and I 
refused : if you are on the same errand I refuse you 
too. You White people are numerous and strong; 
you can easily crush us if you choose, and take 
possession of that which we will not yield ; but here 
is my right arm, and should thousands of you come, 
you must make me a slave or kill me before I will 
give up my authority or my land. When you go, 
you will say I am big-mouthed like all the other 
Maori who have talked to you ; but I am now telling 
you that by which I mean to abide. Let your people 
keep the sea-coast, and leave the interior to us, and 
our mountain, whose name is sacred to the bones of 
my fathers. Do not bring many White people into 
