136 ADVENTURE IN NEW ZEALAND. Chai-. V. 
a large share of the payment, on his return, which K 
Kuru sent over to Putikiwaranui from what he had 
saved out of the general scramble. Till now, the 
natives of that missionary village had not only refused 
to acknowledge the sale of the land, but had refused 
to receive any extra payment ; Mr. Mason having told 
them that if they did not keep it all to grow wheat 
upon, their wives and children would soon be starving. 
On repeated occasions when I had gone over to try 
and effect some arrangement with Muwai, who headed 
the malcontents, I had been unable to get any answer 
from him : he had frequently abstained from saying a 
single word during my visit, wrapping his mouth 
sulkily in his blanket. The same result had attended 
Colonel Wakefield's interview with them. 
But it appeared they had at length got tired of being 
so long estranged from the \^'^hite settlers ; and began 
to perceive that those who, like £J Kwu'dud his people, 
were admitted to their friendship, lived much more 
happily and comfortably. 
Mawui, after begging me to speak with them in a 
private room, and taking great precautions that no 
other natives should hear what he had to say, volun- 
teered his proposal. 
He first assured me that it was he who had directed 
every annoyance against the White settlers ; that E 
Waka, and Wansey's persecutors, and all others who 
had behaved in the same way, had been only following 
his instructions. 
Although I knew that he was much exaggerating 
his influence over the tribes, and that many of these 
people had acted on their own account, I at once told 
him, that I had always allowed him credit for inten- 
tions, at least, as extensive as he described his opera- 
tions against the comfort of my brothers to be. 
He now proposed to retract his instructions, and to 
