Chap. XIII. INTERVIEW WITH RAUPERAHA. 333 
Commissioner pushed on, and I only, heard fleeting 
rumours that he was examining witnesses at Manawatu, 
then that he had reached TVanganui. 
About this time I had occasion to go in a boat from 
Otak'i to Rauperahd^ islet near Kapiti, in order to fetch 
some goods which had been landed for me by a schooner 
at Captain Mayhew's store at that place. 
I had not seen Rauperaha or Rangiliaeata at Otaki 
for some days ; but I found them both here. It ap- 
peared that they were receiving the visit of Karitahi, 
a head chief of the Ngahitau tribe, who had come from 
Otako in a fine large sealing-boat, in order to make 
overtures for the reconciliation of the two tribes. It 
was said, that if this could be effected on a sure foot- 
ing, Taiharoa and " Bloody Jack," Rauperaha^ former 
inveterate enemies, were coming to confer with him on 
various affairs. The natives of Waikanae and Otaki 
told me that this was one of the cases in which, as the 
common Maori proverb says, you must be clever to 
" dive into the projects of Te Rauperaha;^ and his 
movements and those of his new allies were watched 
with the greatest suspicion. 
The southern chief was dressed in an old dragoon 
helmet, and black tail-coat without trousers under his 
dirty mats. His manner was very insolent and undig- 
nified ; and his language a mixture of Maori "bounce" 
and whaling " slang," which showed that he was 
tiiinted by the character of the coarse Europeans among 
whom he had lived. 
I turned to speak to Rauperaha about the flax ; 
telling him how many new people were joining in the 
occupation every day, and trying to interest him in the 
benefits to be derived by the natives. He sneered, as 
usual, at the whole affair, and told me it was only a 
plan of mine to make the natives slaves to the Whit^ 
people. He said they were fools to listen to me. 
