INTERVIEW WITH THE GREAT MAORI CONQUEROR.
He landed about a mile from the village, and we lost no time in procuring
an interpreter, with whom we went instantly to pay our respects to this
celebrated conqueror.
We found him and his party; his slaves preparing their morning repast.
The scene altogether was highly interesting. In a beautiful bay,
surrounded by high rocks and overhanging trees, the chiefs sat in mute
contemplation, their arms piled up in regular order on the beach. Hongi,
not only from his high rank (but in consequence of his wound being
toboo'd, or rendered holy), sat apart from the rest. Their richly
ornamented war canoes were drawn up on the strand; some of the slaves
were unlading stores, others were kindling fires. To me it almost seemed
to realise some of the passages of Homer, where he describes the wanderer
Ulysses and his gallant band of warriors. We approached the chief, and
paid our respects to him. He received us kindly, and with a dignified
composure, as one accustomed to receive homage. His look was emaciated;
but so mild was the expression of his features, that he would have been
the last man I should have imagined accustomed to scenes of bloodshed and
cruelty. But I soon remarked, that when he became animated in
conversation, his eyes sparkled with fire, and their expression changed,
demonstrating that it only required his passions to be roused to exhibit
him under a very different aspect. His wife and daughter were permitted
to sit close to him, to administer to his wants, no others being allowed
so to do, on account of his taboo.
He was arrayed in a new blanket, which completely enveloped his figure,
leaving exposed his highly-tattooed face, and head profusely covered with
long, black, curling hair, adorned with a quantity of white feathers. He
was altogether a very fine study; and, with his permission, I made a
sketch of him, and also one including the whole group. Finding we were
newcomers, he asked us a variety of questions, and, among others, our
opinion of his country. His remarks were judicious and sensible, and he
seemed much pleased with our admiration of his territory. I produced a
bottle of wine that I had brought with me, and his wife supplied him with
a few glasses, which seemed to revive and animate him.
We were then invited to join him in a trip in one of his canoes, in which
was placed a bed for him to recline upon; his wife seated herself close
to him, while his daughter, a very pretty, interesting girl about fifteen
years of age, took a paddle in her hand, which she used with the greatest
dexterity. I took the liberty of presenting her with a bracelet, with
which she seemed highly delighted; when Hongi, perceiving that I was in a
giving mood, pointed to his beard, and asked me for a razor. Fortunately,
I had put one in my pocket on setting out, and I now presented it to
him, by which gifts we continued on terms of great sociability and
friendship. After a pleasant cruise with this (to us) extraordinary
family, and contriving to make ourselves pretty well understood, we
returned about the close of the day, and landed at the bay. All the
natives were much delighted at our confidence in them, and we were
equally gratified by their hospitality.