360 ADVENTURE IN NEW ZEALAND. Chap. XIV. 
which they mingled strangely with their religious 
discussions. But it ended in the belle remaining with 
her husband, and ruling him as she had ruled her 
master. 
At the request of her brother, I had tried to ransom 
her when I returned from Taupo ; having sent two of 
my boys with a double-barrelled gun each to lay at the 
feet of her master, with my letter begging him to 
accept them as payment for his slave, and to allow her 
to return to her family, l^ut he had refused ; and 
the boys brought me back the guns, and a j)rivate 
message from the slave, that had I come on horse- 
back she would have jumped up behind to fly to 
JVanganui. 
Now, however, she was perfectly reconciled to the 
life which she led with her huslmnd, who was a fine, 
good-humoured youth, and with her position as the 
acknowledged belle of the country. 
As I had brought her several letters and presents 
from her relations at Tivwpo and JVanganm, Tnrori 
was delighted to show me how thoroughly she joined 
in the grateful and respectful feelings of all her trilx? 
towards me ; and she ordered her husband about in all 
directions to make our party comfortable. 
On arriving at Tf^anganui^ I went up to Tata, and 
s[)ent a very pleasant week or two with E Kuru and 
his family. The chief was living a most happy and 
contented life among his potato-gardens. He showed 
me the trunk of a Mara tree, that he had cut down 
to make a war-canoe which was to be our joint pro- 
perty. He and his four wives vied in attentions of 
every sort to young TVahlne ifi, anxious to make him 
feel how unjust had l^een ff^atamiis suspicions. The 
lad fully reciprocated their kind feelings, and we made 
}is it were l)ut one family. 
