Chap. X. RAUPERAHAS SLAVES ON THE HUTT. 243 
CHAPTER X. 
jRauperahd's slaves on the Hutt — Veracity of natives — E Puni's 
present — Native labour — Fires — Furniture woods — Boats — 
Neglect of Nelson — Stagnation at Auckland — The Bishop ar- 
rives — Stifling of the Native Reserves — Their value misrepre- 
sented — Their real value — Unjust reproaches against the 
plan — Outrages by natives at New Plymouth — How quelled — 
Proposed arbitration — A Harbour-master appointed — His fit- 
ness for the office — Whales — Doings of the Bishop — Want of a 
Church — -Death of Mr. Young — Mr. Deans migrates to Port 
Cooper — Calumnies against Colonel Wakefield — How refuted — 
Meeting at Auckland — Distressed condition — Remedies proposed 
— Illness and death of Governor Hobson. 
On arriving at Port Nicholson, however, I found it 
was true enough. A large party of stranger natives 
had been for some time clearing a large extent of land 
on the banks of the river Hutt, and preventing settlers 
from occupying other parts, which they stated it was 
their intention to clear. They kept up a constant 
communication with Porirua, by means of a path over 
the dividing ridge which leads to the north arm of 
Porirua harbour. They had first come over soon 
after my departure with E Ahu. 
Taringa Kurt had settled immediately in the neigh- 
bourhood of Mr. William Swainson, the eminent ento- 
mologist ; and his people had begun to clear the forest in- 
discriminately on a section of which Mr. Swainson had 
taken a lease, and on which he had commenced culti- 
vation. 
I met " Dog's Ear " shortly after my arrival ; and 
he coolly began to abuse Rauperaha and Rangihaeata 
just as usual, saying that they were very bad to drive 
White people off land which they had sold ; and that 
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