JOURNEY OVERLAND TO BAY OF ISLANDS.
Here we left the brig to unload her cargo; my friend Shand and myself
having determined to proceed overland to the Bay of Islands. An
intelligent chief, hearing of our intention, offered to accompany us
himself, and lent us two of his kookies to carry our baggage. We accepted
the chieftain's offer, and several other natives joined the party to bear
us company.
November 7.--We all embarked in a canoe, in order to reach the head of
the river before we began our pedestrian tour; and, after paddling about
eight or nine miles further up, where the river became exceedingly
narrow, we came to another English settlement. This consisted of a party
of men who had come out in the Rosanna, the vessel employed by the New
Zealand Company. When all ideas of settling were totally abandoned by the
officers sent out for that purpose, these men chose rather to remain by
themselves than to return home; and we found them busily employed in
cutting timber, sawing planks, and making oars for the Sydney market. How
far they may prove successful, time only can develop; but as these
enterprising men had only their own industry to assist them, it could not
be expected that their establishment could bear a comparison with the one
at Te Horeke, which is supported by several of the most wealthy
merchants of New South Wales.
As the river became narrower, the habitations of the natives were more
numerous. The chief of this district (whose name is Patuone) has a
splendid village very near the carpenters' establishment we have just
described. He had taken these industrious men under his especial
protection, and seemed very proud of having a settlement of that kind in
his territories, as it gave him power and consequence among all the
neighbouring chiefs, from the trade he carried on by means of their
exertions.
Patuone had likewise induced the Wesleyan missionaries to settle upon his
land, about a mile below; so that the head of this river assumed quite
the appearance of a civilised colony.
Our party now disembarked. We landed in a dense forest, which reached to
the water's edge; and our guides and slaves began to divide the loads
each was to carry on his back. Several joined us from the two English
stations on the river, and we then amounted to a very large party; all in
high spirits, and anxious to proceed on our journey. When our natives had
distributed the luggage, they loaded themselves, which they did with both
skill and quickness; for a New Zealander is never at a loss for cords or
ropes. Their plan is to gather a few handfuls of flax, which they soon
twist into a very good substitute: with this material they formed slings,
with which they dexterously fastened our moveables on their backs, and
set off at a good trot, calling out to us to follow them.