474 ADVENTUKE IN NEW ZEALAND. Chap. XVLII. 
sunied their operations of selling land and despatching 
emigrants to the colony. 
But the new Governor was expected to touch at 
Bahia, at the Cape of Good Hope, and even at Sydney, 
before reaching his Government. 
Fears were not wanting that the crisis of affairs 
brought on by the JVairau massacre, unknown before 
his departure from England, might require too imme- 
diate a declaration of policy in one decided course or the 
other, for the prudent commencement of the reign of 
any but a very superior man. It was clear that the 
question would have to be at once settled beyond a 
doubt, as to whether Rauperaha and Rangihaeata 
were British subjects or not ; and that, if they should 
be considered amenable to British law as having been 
parties to the Treaty of PVaitangi, their apprehension 
and trial in the most formal way would be the only 
course left open. Some even of those who had the 
most acknowledged right to cherish a lingering wish 
for retribution, were so far softened as to dwell on a 
hope that justice might be benignly tempered with 
mercy, after the dignity of the law should have been 
duly asserted, even in the case in which its impartial 
verdict should return the two chiefs as murderers. 
A meeting was held for the purpose of forwarding 
a memorial on this and other important subjects to 
Captain Fitzroy at Sydney ; in the hope that he might 
come from thence direct to Cook's Strait in order to 
rectify the critical state of affairs. 
Mr. White, who had been appointed Police Magis- 
trat,e at Nelson, had now written to Major Richmond in 
confirmation of the former accounts from that place ; and 
Sir Everard, on the sight of the letters, " determined," 
he says, " to go to Nelson : as I could be of little 
" use there alone. Major Richmond said that he would 
