June 21st, Wednesday. Fine, thermometer 53°. Light winds and variable. In the morning the ship was towed to the heads, and afterwards warped into the harbour, and at seven P.M. anchored off the native fort, or pah.

No canoes came near us during the whole of the day, and when some of the gentlemen, who visited three or four different villages in the afternoon, approached the shore, the natives seemed rather to shun than court their acquaintance; and they were invariably asked when they landed," what they came for, or what they wanted."

22d, Thursday. Hazy, thermometer 54°. At daylight the anchor was weighed, and the ship was warped to the southern side of the pah, where she was moored.

The harbour of Wangarooa and a considerable part of the surrounding country belongs to the chief, Teperree, while George's residence is about eight miles to the southward of where the Dromedary anchored, and on the banks of a river called the Kameemy.

In the afternoon we visited the insulated rock, upon which stands the pah of Teperree's tribe. We were accompanied by George; but we had reason to suspect that he and its chief were not on the best terms, from the circumstances of his remaining in the boat when we landed, and his telling us more than once, Teperree" was no good."

We were received with the same reserve as on the day before, and the people asked us the same questions, "what we came for," and "what we wanted;" while the children cried and clung to their mothers when we approached them; nor could any presents induce some of them to come near us.

The ship was surrounded with canoes; and an ample supply of vegetables was purchased from the natives for biscuit, for which they traded with the greatest avidity.

June 23d, Friday. Fine, thermometer 52°. George having pointed out a place near his village where the bullocks might be landed, they were sent off in the morning in the

launch he showed no anxiety to accompany them; but as this was necessary, he was very urgent that some of the officers should go with him. Just as he was about to get into the boat, he came in a great hurry on the poop to complain, that a native alongside had told him, that "it was our intention not to molest him, till the arrival of the Coromandel, when the soldiers of both ships were to be landed, and he and his tribe destroyed." He pointed out the author of this story; and, notwithstanding the assurances given him of our peaceable intentions, he went away in apparently low spirits. At noon, the tide being about half-flood, we rowed to the mouth of the Kameemy, and meeting some wild-ducks upon it, we continued to pull up the stream until we found ourselves at George's settlement. The water in many places was so shallow, that, though the boat was small, it was necessary to drag it over the shoals for some distance; nor did the launch arrive for a considerable time after. Many cowry trees,

grew over the steep banks that overhang the river, but they were too short to form part of the ship's cargo; and that part of the forest, whence those of proper size were to be obtained, lay in a deep valley, or ravine, a mile and a quarter to the right. The intermediate ground was at first level, but afterwards undulating and intersected with a swamp and a deep and rapid brook. The hill under which the trees grew thickest was steep; but it was thought that the spars, when cut and lightened by being trimmed, might be hove to the top of it, by means of a capstan, and dragged to the water's edge by the ten bullocks, with the united strength of the natives and the crew. It was therefore proposed to make a road from the wood to the river, to build a bridge over the brook, and to fill up the swamp with

fascines.

Having left the boat, and walked to the village with George, we were conducted by him to Tippooi, his elder brother, and, of course, the greater chief. We found this per

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son seated at the door of his hut, dressed in new mats, painted and decorated with feathers, and the whole of the tribe arranged in a similar position on a rising ground to his right, so as to show their numbers off to the best advantage. They seemed to be perfectly under his control, and during the time we remained in conversation with him, not one of them attempted to approach us.

Tippooi's house was one of the largest we had seen in the country; it was quite new; and when he showed us into it, he remarked "that he had built it for the white men who might be sent to work in the woods."

It was now so late that it seemed almost impracticable to reach the ship that night; but not having come with the intention of sleeping out, we told George that we must go. This arrangement seemed to annoy him very much; and, when we ultimately agreed to remain with him during the night, he appeared much pleased, and thanked us for having complied with his invitation.