422 ADVENTURE IN NEW ZEALAND. Chap. XVI. 
In the afternoon Mr. Spain answered the letter to 
himself, and also that to Mr. Clarke junior ; which, 
curiously enough, the referee had handed to the umpire. 
Mr. Spain first told Colonel Wakefield, he had no right 
to write at all to Mr. Clarke, until he, as umpire, had 
finally decided that the arbitration was to be resumed ; 
accused him of seeking to impose new conditions upon 
the umpire, through Mr. Clarke, inconsistent with the 
original terms of the arbitration ; and then requested 
to know whether he were willing to resume the nego- 
tiation upon the terms proposed in his first letter, with- 
out reference to Colonel Wakefield's letter to Mr. 
Clarke ; with which, although he had answered it, he 
said he could have nothing to do as umpire. 
But Colonel Wakefield was now supported in his 
course by the settlers, who fully concurred in the letters 
which he had written to both Mr. Spain and Mr. 
Clarke junior ; and he answered, that nothing short of 
the " final and conclusive settlement," before demanded, 
would satisfy their feelings and expectations. While 
he repudiated the charge of imposing new conditions, 
he expressed himself " ready, willing, and anxious" to 
proceed in the affair. 
Mr. Spain, however, replied shortly, that these terms 
were such as to interdict the resumption of the nego- 
tiation ; went on board the brig, and sailed the next 
day for Auckland, declaring that he went to obtain 
from the Acting Governor the means of satisfying the 
natives whose expectations had been raised. He was 
accompanied by several of them. 
Ever since the failure of Colonel Wakefield to meet 
Mr. Spain at Pf^anganui, the Commissioner's conduct 
had displayed very manifest symptoms of personal pique. 
This is amply confirmed by his " private and confi- 
"dential" letters to Mr. Shortland, which have been 
