Chap. V. PENALTY INFLICTED FOR SALUl'ING E KURU, VZ9 
assured me of the earnestness of their professions ; 
and begged me to cherish them and befriend them as 
well as I had befriended his people at PVanganui. " Be 
" their pakeha,'* said he, " as you have been mine : 
" they have hearts that remember, and do not tell 
" lies." I was delighted with this new trait of gene- 
rosity ; for a native is generally very jealous of the 
divergence of any of the trade of his particular 
pakeha into any new channel. E Kuru, however, 
seemed only anxious to increase my influence among 
the natives ; so as to bind many together in a bond of 
union and friendship, on which he had firmly rested 
his hope. 
The next day, I was somewhat surprised at being 
served with a summons, charging me with " firing or 
'* causing to be fired certain guns or fire-arms, to the 
" terror of Her Majesty's liege subjects, and in breach 
"of the peace!" 
I of course attended the court on the appointed day,, 
and found myself before a whole bench of Magistrates, 
looking as solemn as though they were going to try 
a Chartist for high treason. A new charge was now 
brought, differing from the summons : for " firing guns 
" in a tumultuous manner, and causing a breach of the 
" peace on the Sabbath !" 
However, it was explained to me that this was not ir- 
regular, as there need have been no summons or warrant 
at all ; and that at any rate my appearance remedied all 
defects in the summons. So the evidence proceeded. 
I need not dwell on the particulars of this ludicrous 
exhibition of magisterial wisdom. Suffice it to say, 
that Mr. Dawson seemed determined to punish the 
doing honour to a chief who had distinguished him- 
self by good behaviour to the settlers ; and that he 
overruled all the scruples of the newly-made Justices, 
VOL. II. K 
