292 ADVENTURE IN NEW ZEALAND. Chap. XII. 
wealthy and civilized neighbours ; and that, as leaders 
possessed of no eminent qualities but those necessary 
for intrigue, menace, and war, they themselves would 
soon become ciphers in a peaceful tril^e of well-dressed 
and well-fed flax-scrapers and cattle-holders, 
On the 7th of November, the George Fyfe arrived 
from England with immigrants for Nelson, and a 
large batch of cabin-passengers, some for that place, 
some for Wellington. About this time a fresh impetus 
seemed to have been given to emigration in England. 
Several ships had lately arrived at Nelson and New 
Plymouth. They generally bore a very suj)erior class 
of settlers ; and it appeared to have become an 
increasing fashion for the cadets of some of the l^est 
families in the mother-country to swell the ranks of 
colonial society. The Fyfe brought JNlr. Charles 
Clifford and Mr. William Vavasour, among other 
colonists, to Wellington ; and Mr. Constantine Dillon 
to Nelson. One or two of the established settlers had 
alsD sent home for wives ; and these came with the 
families of the new settlers in this and one or two 
succeeding ships with the same class of colonists. 
We also heard with great pleasure that Mr. Henry 
Petre might be soon expected, having married a wife, 
and concluded his preparations for a final return to the 
colony. 
Happening to be in Wellington at the time, I went 
on board to greet Mr. Dillon, whom I had known 
before I left England. I remember being impressed 
with the curious scene which took })lace on board. 
We had hardly shaken hands, when my friend 
burst out with a series of questions. " Have you 
" got 100,000 acres of the finest land in the world 
" up the Hutt ?" and " Is it true that you've had to 
" live upon rats for some time ?" were among them. 
