A MAORI VILLAGE.
The village was situated on the side of a small, picturesque stream, one
of the branches of the Hokianga, but continued droughts had at this time
reduced it to a trifling brook. From its lofty banks, and the large trees
lying athwart it, we conjectured that during heavy rains it must be a
mighty flood. A long straggling collection of huts composed the village:
a great deal of land in its vicinity was cleared and planted, which
doubtless was the ostensible object of Patuone's people being here. As
the village lay upon the opposite shore from that on which we arrived, we
sat some time under the shelter of a large tree, to contemplate its
appearance, and to give time to arrange our party for passing the stream,
and also for my making a sketch. The red glare of the setting sun, just
touching the top of every object, beautifully illuminated the landscape;
and its rays bursting through the black woods in the background, gave the
woods an appearance of being on fire; while a beautiful rainbow, thrown
across the sky, tinged the scene with a fairy-land effect.
As soon as they perceived us from the opposite shore, a loud shout of
welcome was raised, and all the inhabitants came out to meet us. They
carried us over the stream, conducted us to their huts, and then sat down
to gaze at and admire us.
As we were very hungry after our fatiguing walk, we soon unpacked our
baggage, and in so doing made an unavoidable display of many valuable and
glittering objects, which roused the attention of our savage spectators,
and caused them, on the unfolding of every fresh object, to make loud and
long exclamations of wonder and amazement. As I was then "a stranger in
their land," and unaccustomed to their peculiarities, I felt a little
alarmed at their shouts; but, on a longer acquaintance with them, I found
my fears had been groundless.
Here we saw the son of Patuone, accompanied by thirty or forty young
savages, sitting or lying all round us. All were exceedingly handsome,
notwithstanding the wildness of their appearance and the ferocity of
their looks. Let the reader picture to himself this savage group,
handling everything they saw, each one armed with a musket, loaded with
ball, a cartouch-box buckled round his waist, and a stone patoo-patoo, or
hatchet, in his hand, while human bones were hung round each neck by way
of ornament; let the scene and situation be taken into consideration, and
he will acknowledge it was calculated to make the young traveller wish
himself safe at home; but, when I suspected, I wronged them; for after
admiring everything we had brought with us (more especially our
fowling-pieces, which were very beautiful ones), they begged a little
tobacco, then retired to a distance from the hut which had been prepared
for our reception, and left us to take our supper uninterrupted; after
which they placed all our baggage in the hut, that we might be assured of
its safety.
It proved a rainy, miserable night; and we were a large party, crowded
into a small, smoky hut, with a fire lighted in the middle; as, after
our supper, the natives, in order to have as much of our company as
possible, crowded it till it was literally crammed. However annoying this
might be, still I was recompensed by the novelty and picturesque
appearance of the scene. Salvator Rosa could not have conceived a finer
study of the horrible. A dozen men, of the largest and most athletic
forms, their cakahoos (or mat-dresses) laid aside, and their huge limbs
exposed to the red glare of the fire; their faces rendered hideous by
being tattooed all over, showing by the firelight quite a bright blue;
their eyes, which are remarkable for their fierce expression, all fixed
upon us, but with a look of good temper, co-mingled with intense
curiosity. All my fears had by this time subsided, and, being master of
myself, I had leisure to study and enjoy the scene; we smoked a social
pipe with them (for they are all immoderately fond of tobacco), and I
then stretched myself down to sleep amidst all their chattering and
smoke.
But all my attempts at slumber were fruitless. I underwent a simultaneous
attack of vermin of all descriptions; fleas, mosquitoes, and sand-flies,
which, beside their depredations on my person, made such a buzzing noise,
that even the chattering of the natives could not drown it, or the smoke
from the fire or pipes drive them away.