128 ADVENTURE IN NEW ZEALAND. Chap. V. 
about, and bagging the letter-bags at every arrival ; and 
strutted about in a manner truly ridiculous. To every 
application from parties who had been obstructed by 
the natives from getting on to their land, he would 
answer, as Lieutenant Shortland did to the folks at 
Port Nicholson, " You have no land ; you are only 
"squatters, and I expect to have orders to turn you 
" off." 
It was not long before I was doomed to feel the 
weight of his official discipline. E Kuru, on hearing 
of my arrival, had despatched a messenger to say that 
he was coming down to greet me in great state, with 
a large train from Tieke, Tata, and Pipiriki, in order 
to hand over the mats and pigs which his brother's 
party had brought for me from Taupo, and to bring 
me a large present of pigs and potatoes. He at length 
arrived on a Sunday afternoon, nearly at sunset. As 
soon as the fleet of canoes turned the point, I ordered 
my boys to fire the customary salute from a long boat- 
gun and another fowling-piece which were in the 
house, and I fired my own double-barrelled gun twice 
or thrice out of my window. As soon as E Kuru 
reached the house, I ordered them to stop firing. The 
rest of the chiefs postponed meeting me till the morn- 
ing, as it was dark ; but E Kuru rushed eagerly into 
the room, and greeted me warmly after my long ab- 
sence. He was delighted to hear how firm a friend- 
ship I had struck up with Heuheu and the chief of 
Tokanu, and expressed great pride that his White man 
should have acquired the respect of his relatives among 
the Ngatipehi. For his wife had told him that my 
visit had strengthened the good understanding of which 
my reception of the war-party laid the foundations, 
and that the people of Tokanu and Terapa would 
henceforth consider me as one of themselves. E Kuru 
