246 ADVENTURE IN NEW ZEALAND, Chap. X. 
and from him I had managed to acquire a tolerable 
share of this valuable property. Any one employing 
labourers from among the natives would best succeed 
by a relation with them resembling that which I had 
so successfully established at TVanganui. They then 
strive for the honour and glory of the estate or house, 
of which they feel themselves to form an honoured 
and important part. 
On the 5th of July, an " awful conflagration" had 
taken place. The building which had so long done 
duty as Police-office, Post-office, Court of Justice, and 
Church, took fire, and was burnt to the ground in half 
an hour. Fortunately, Mr. Halswell and the Police 
Magistrate had for a long while doubted the security 
of the edifice, and kept their documents at their re- 
spective homes ; some carpenters who were at work 
near the spot saved what was lying or blowing about 
in the post-office corner of the ricketty hut; and 
the whole damage done was estimated at nearly Jive 
pounds ! 
The wooden " Government-house" at Hobson's first 
" Folly" had been burnt down in May ; and thus had 
perished the whole buildings in the town of Russell, 
which had cost so dear. 
The making of furniture at Wellington had been 
now for some time successfully carried on. The 
totara, the mai, and the hinau, were found to work up 
into very handsome side-boards, tables, and book- 
shelves. It was predicted that the export of these 
woods to England would become of great importance 
as soon as they should become known there.* 
* A cabinet-maker, named Levien, has a workshop adjoining the 
New Zealand House in Broad-street Buildings, where he continues 
to construct furniture of New Zealand woods, which has been much 
admired, and bought at high prices. 
