Enacky, told us, that Mr. Marsden had left his baggage in his charge, and requested permission to put it on board the schooner. Enacky's son attended us during our shooting excursion; and he was so thankful for our occasionally loading his musket for him, that he brought us a present of a cat, which he must have intended for our repast, as he seemed a good deal surprised that we did not eat it. [See Note 15.] In the evening a large canoe full of women came alongside; many of them were handsome; and Tetatta, who said " they were wives for the white men," ordered them to come on board.

When they had formed themselves in a line upon the deck, Tetatta walked aft to where the officers were standing, and very politely and individually asked them to select what number of wives they wanted. He seemed much disappointed that this mark of attention and hospitality was declined by those to whom he wished most to show it; and though many of the women found husbands

among the other inmates of the vessel, their chief gave himself no trouble about them. They continued to dance and sing till a late hour; and it was generally observed that in the harmony of their voices, the gracefulness of their movements, as well as in personal appearance, they had far the advantage of any other tribes we had met with. Among their songs, many of which were extempore, and directed to some particular person or object that presented itself to them, there was one which they frequently repeated. It commemorated the arrival of the Coromandel in their part of the island; their hopes that other ships would come among them; and their wish that the white men would trade with them for muskets and powder, and thus enable their tribe to defend their wives, their children, and their koomeras, from the invasion of their enemies.

Aug. 22d, Tuesday. Fine, wind light and variable. At daylight the schooner was surrounded with canoes filled with men and

women; their demeanour was perfectly peaceable, nor did any of them attempt to come on board without permission, though the crew amounted to but twelve persons. They brought alongside an abundance of potatoes, which they sold for nails and similar trifles; and they said if the ship returned that way they would be prepared to supply her with as many hogs as she wanted.

In appearance these people were far superior to any of the New Zealanders we had hitherto seen they were fairer, taller, and more athletic; their canoes were larger, and more richly carved and ornamented.

At ten a light breeze springing up at N.E. the schooner weighed, and the canoes left us; but a calm coming on at noon, we anchored in three fathoms water, not having made above five miles. In the afternoon we went on shore to shoot, but without any sucAbreast of our position at anchor, and on the western side of the channel, was a small island, which rose about forty feet per

cess.

pendicular from the surface of the sea. Its summit was perfectly level, and its sides, which were composed of a soft kind of sandstone, were so smooth, and the strata so regularly divided, as to present the appearance of a fortification raised by human art. There was but one narrow point at which it was accessible; and, with the exception of a small projection of the main land, which lay near it, and was similarly formed, the general features of the country on either side, within view, were similar to those of the land seen on the preceding day. There were few inhabitants, and but one canoe came off to the vessel; at five P. M. a breeze springing up from the south, we got under weigh, but anchored again at eight, in consequence of our pilot's avowal of his inability to conduct us to our destination during the night. The soundings this day were from three to five fathoms.

Aug. 23d, Wednesday. Fine, wind S.E. and blowing fresh, weighed at daylight. At

eight passed the mouth of a large river called the Wyrooa; at ten, having gained the bottom of the channel, altered our course which had hitherto been S.W. to N. by E., and entered a bay, formed by two islands, called Peneneekee. At the north-eastern extremity of it there were three passages into the great body of the river Thames; and the schooner in going through the most western of them, which is full half a mile wide, carried nine and ten fathoms water. The heads are bold and steep, and on the summit of that which stands westward, is a native pah, where a vast number of the natives were collected. The nautical people on board were of opinion that this bay would afford safe shelter for shipping, and that there was plenty of water for vessels as large as the Coromandel.

The land seen on either side of the channel this morning was beautifully diversified with hill and dale. On the western coast there were many cowry trees; they grew also in great profusion on the northern side of Peneneekee