It is not hard to understand the conduct of Lord Durham‘s settlers, who landed here in 1837. The friendly natives received the party with a war-dance, which had upon them such an effect that they immediately took ship for Australia, where they remained.
The next day, when we called on Governor Hunia at his wahré to bid him farewell, before our departure for the capital, he made two speeches to us, which are worth recording as specimens of Maori oratory. Speaking through Mr. Buller, who had been kind enough to escort us to the Ngatiapa‘s wahré, Hunia said:
“Hail, guests! You have just now seen the settlement of a great dispute—the greatest of modern time.
“This was a weighty trouble—a grave difficulty.
“Many Pakéhas have tried to settle it—in vain. For Pétatoné was it reserved to end it. I have said that great is our gratitude to Pétatoné.
“If Pétatoné hath need of me in the future, I shall be there. If he climbs the lofty tree, I will climb it with him. If he scales high cliffs, I will scale them too. If Pétatoné needeth help, he shall have it; and where he leads, there will I follow.
“Such are the words of Hunia.”
To this speech one of us replied, explaining our position as guests from Britain.
Hunia then began again to speak:
“O my guests, a few days since when asked for a war-dance, I refused. I refused because my people were sad at heart.