not afraid of venturing amongst them, even
in times of danger, We accordingly prepared
the whale-boats to proceed up the
Cower-Cower river ; and, as I had never been
there before, the present afforded an excellent
opportunity for exploring that picturesque
spot.
At the top of the Bay of Islands, two rivers
disembogue, the Wye Catte and the Cower-
Cower : they are both small but beautiful
streams. It was early in the morning when
we started : the dewy mist rose from the unruffled
bosom of the river like the gradual
lifting up of a curtain, and, at length, displayed
its lofty sides, covered with immense trees,
the verdure extending to the very edge of the
water: all was quiet, beautiful, and serene;
the only sounds which broke the calm were
the wild notes of the tooe (or New Zealand
blackbird), the splashing of our own oars, or
the occasional flight of a wild duck (or shag),
disturbed by our approach.
We rowed our boat many miles without
seeing the slightest vestige of any human
inhabitants or of cultivation: all appeared
wild and magnificent as if just fresh from the
hands of nature ; and it failed not to lead the
mind up to the contemplation of the Creator.
It seemed utterly impossible to reconcile the
idea that such lonely, romantic, and sequestered
scenes could conceal hordes of savage
cannibals, or that the tranquillity of this very
place would soon be exchanged for the noise
and tumult of savage warfare.. We soon
reached the village where the coalesced chiefs
had taken up their station : they had fortified
their position, and were waiting the approach
of the enemy. No sooner, however, was our
arrival known, than all came running down
tumultuously to give us welcome: all business
was laid aside to greet our landing; and we
were conducted with great ceremony into the
centre of the camp.
We found eight hundred warriors, who (to
use a sea phrase,) were “ all at quarters.”
The magic pen of Scott might here have been
well employed to describe “ The Gathering.”
The chiefs sat apart from their followers
in deep consultation: we did not approach
near enough to hear their discussion; but it