428 ADVENTURE IN NEW ZEALAND. Chav. XVI. 
Although his manner was insolent and overbearing, 
I asked him to go and see ^^^ide-awake and the White 
people at Wellington. He seemed to me another 
sample of the naturally ferocious savage, confirmed in 
brutality by association with the worst class of White 
men, like Rauperahn, Rangihaentay or the other Kawia 
chiefs, whose arrogant and coarse demeanour we had 
observed on first seeing them at Cloudy Bay and Kapiti 
in 1839. 
I now asked Hiko about the boat ; but he said he 
had no command over it, and that those who had would 
require large utu for restoring it. 
While I was speaking to him, I pulled out my 
pocket-handkerchief. He immediately retreated as fast 
as he could, hiding his head under his blanket. He 
told me, when re-assured, that he thought I was pulling 
a pistol out of my pocket to shoot him. I imme- 
diately answered, that I scorned to carry hidden arms 
amongst them ; and showed him that I had none but 
my cutlass and the dagger in my belt, both plainly 
visible. 
We arrived without further occurrence at Otaki, and 
remained there two days ; during which we went to 
Topeoras pa, and saw both Rauperaha and Rangi- 
haeata. The latter had recovered of the wound in his 
foot, which was but a slight injury received by tread- 
ing on the sharp stumj) of a tree during the fight. 
They both professed to be very friendly to me, and 
inquired what the ship was come for — whether it 
was to take them or not? I told them I did not 
know ; she might be, she might not ; I had nothing 
to do with it. Rauperaha then repeated that he would 
fight the soldiers if they came : Rangihaeata said he 
would eat the ship, soldiers and all. 
We were a week away from Wellington. On my 
