382 ADVENTURE IN NEW ZEALAN1>; CThaV. XV. 
twenty-five in all, proceeded to Cloudy Bay. It was 
generally understood on board that the natives were 
going to fight for their land at IVairau. They were 
armed with muskets and tomahawks. Toms himself 
gave them two muskets in exchange for a slave. They 
were landed at Port Underwood, in Cloudy Bay, on 
the 1st of June. They then started with other natives 
in eight canoes and a whale-boat for the Ti^airau, where 
they arrived on the same day. They appear to have 
been about a hundred in number. The first visit they 
paid was to a Mr. Cave at Port Underwood. The 
following account of their behaviour on this occasion 
was taken from Mr. Cave, and communicated to 
the editor of the New Zealand Gazette, by Dr. Dorset, 
who accompanied the Magistrates after the massacre. 
** From the information I gathered from the whalers 
" and the depositions taken at Cloudy Bay, it appeared 
" to me that the natives came fully prepared for mischief. 
" The person on whose testimony I placed most reliance 
" was a Mr. Cave, who had been resident there for the 
*^ last seven or eight years, and who had been always up 
^* to that time on the most friendly terms with the 
*' chiefs Rauperaha and Ran^ihaeata ; a knife and fork 
*' being always' placed at his table for them on their visits 
'" to Cloudy Bay. But this time he noticed a peculiar 
" ferocity about their bearing. They asked for things 
'** in a way that brooked no denial ; and seeing Mr. Cave 
" sharpening an axe, Rangihaeata forcibly took it from 
" him and struck him. Mr. Cave tried to find out 
" what they were after, but could not succeed, and his 
" impression was they were l)ound over to secrecy on the 
*' evening before they landed ; on which occasion, they 
*' had a feast on board Mr. Toms' vessel, where they 
" all got drunk ; Mr. Toms being the only European 
*' present, so far as I could learn." 
