•payment for the injury you have received.”
We accordingly proceeded to the chief’s
dwelling, whom we found standing at his
door; we charged him with having robbed
us, and entered the house to seize our property.
He held down his head, and seemed
ashamed and overpowered at this discovery.
He did not attempt to vindicate his conduct,
but quietly allowed us not only to take away
all that had belonged to us, but likewise a
musket and a double-barrelled gun, which
he concluded he had lost for ever. These
we had only taken away temporarily to deter
him from theft in future, for a few days after
we brought them back to him, to his infinite
delight and astonishment.
I was frequently shocked during my residence
in this country, by the number of
accidents which continually happened to the
natives from gunpowder; and not even the
saddest experience could render them more
careful. We were doubtful of the strength
of a French fowling-piece we had, so we
loaded it to the muzzle, and discharged it, in
order to prove it. Some young chiefs, who
saw us do this (approving of this method), as»
soon as they returned home loaded a musket
in the same manner, and then discharged i t ;
but not managing the affair as we did — by
means of a string fastened to the trigger, the
piece burst, and mangled two of them dreadfully,
and we got greatly blamed for showing
them what was considered so bad an
example.
A few months since a native came from
the interior driving a quantity of pigs to
barter for powder; he obtained several pounds’
weight, and set off’ to return home. On his
journey he passed the night in a hut, and for
safety put the bag of powder under his head
as a pillow; and as a New Zealander always
sleeps with a fire close to him, the consequence
was, in the course of the night the
fire communicated to the powder, and destroyed
the man and the whole of his family,
who were journeying with him.
Last year a chief, and cousin of King
George, named Pomaree, was defeated and
killed by the people of the Thames, and
George was now resolved to revenge his