512 ADVENTURE IN NEW ZEALAND. Chav. XIX. 
wanted to bow me out of the room, saying, " Now, my 
" time is very precious ; I've a great deal of business 
" to transact ;" and so on. I insisted, in as polite 
terms as I could, on being heard at least in defence. 
But I had better have left the room at once ; for I was 
interrupted at every three words, contradicted, brow- 
beaten, unheard, and worse insulted than before. He 
told me repeatedly, " that he knew his duty and he 
" would do it, without caring for public feeling ; that 
" he would not be dictated to ; that he came here to 
" govern, and not to be governed ;" none of which I 
had attempted to deny. 
I was not allowed to explain how unjust and unge- 
nerous a charge was that, against me in particular, of 
bearing animosity towards the natives. At that very 
time, ff^ahine iti was waiting to hear from me when 
I was coming to England ; as his father and all his 
family had agreed that, notwithstanding the chance of 
war, he should accompany me to be educated properly. 
And the lad himself was only one of those who were 
now, I am proud to say, devoted to me. At that very 
time, I was constantly receiving the most pressing 
letters from the chief of Tokanu at Taupo, who had 
travelled from his home first to fVanganui then to 
Otakt, in order to bring me, in state, a present of 40 
or 50 pigs, and as many mats, which he had collected 
for me since my visit to that country. He eagerly 
entreated me to come to Otaki, where he was stopping 
with a numerous train ; as he wished to consult me on 
the present state of affairs, and on the subject of 
migrating from Taupo to TVanganui with his whole 
tribe (400 persons), in order to join in the benefits of 
the flax-trade. I must add, that I had established 
this traffic at Otuki, TVanganui, and other places, 
at a considerable loss to myself, principally to 
