384 ADVENTURE IN NEW ZEALAND. Chap. XV. 
off by their own boats, with the exception of ]Mr. 
Barnicoat and one man, whom Rauperaha allowed to 
remain in charge of some provisions they had not room 
for. The whole body of natives then ascended the river 
in their canoes. In number at this time they amounted 
to 98. Subsequent arrivals swelled this number to 
125, of whom about 40 were women and children. ; 
The Police IVIagistrate at Nelson having issued his 
warrant, and being informed of the numbers of the 
natives, and of their being armed, resolved to attend 
the execution of the warrant himself, accompanied by 
an armed force. He expressed his opinion that such a? 
demonstration would prevent bloodshed, and impress 
upon the natives a sense of the authority of the law. 
It is certain that actual resistance was not anticipated, 
and that the moral eflfect of the presence of the force 
was wholly relied on. The men chosen were of the la- 
bouring class, and intended as a reinforcement to those 
employed in surveying ; many of them had never handled 
a firelock in their lives. The Government brig Victoria 
was then in the harbour ; and, at the request of Mr. 
Thompson, Captain Richards consented to carry the 
party to ff'^airau. It then consisted of the following 
persons : — Mr. Thompson, Judge of the County Court 
and Police Magistrate ; Captain Wakefield, and Captain 
Richard England, both Justices of the Peace; Mr. 
George Ryecroft Richardson, Crown Prosecutor for 
Nelson ; Mr. James Howard, a Warrant Officer in the 
Navy and New Zealand Company's Storekeeper ; Mr. 
Cotterell, Surveyor ; four consfcibles and twelve special 
contables. John Brooks went as interpreter, having 
often been similarly employed. The brig sailed on 
Tuesday, June 13th. In the Gulf, the same day, she 
met the Company's boat on her return from the fVai- 
^OM, with Mr. Tuckett, Mr. Patchett, a Merchant and 
