(Fragment from a diary, evidently written on a Journey.) misrepresent their best motives, alluding to several instances in which they had done so. The same follows with all races, and we are not an exception. It is true that you hear many mis-representations of the intentions of Government; the reason of which is, that, like your own, Chief's contrast the worst actions of your tribes; so the Government of England, represented by the Governor and his Officers here, restrict and counteract the worst practices of our people; and as bad people are not fond of restraint, they frequently come to your settlement, descimating their feelings of dissatisfaction, which they dare not utter against the Government, their abuse. This, they said, appeared in part, reasonable; and coincided with what Mr. Shortland told them, when he visited them, saying that when both speaking alike, and who lived so far distant, must be true. But still, a great number of Europeans, enumerating several names. Here I could perceive how much we requited to counteract the unfavourable impression received from many Europeans, and how difficult it would be for a race of people, like them, to decide between the right and the wrong; especially as they were not recipients of any Government bounty, or even visited by an accredited agent of Government, who might, from his respectable bearing and conduct, encourage very different sentiments, and check, in their infancy, the baneful attempts made to overthrow the Government's authority in the Island. But to resume my conversation with Irikau - I told him that time and experience would decide whether such claimants' testimony should be believed. For my part, your own testimony, was that of your brother Heu Heu, as Chieftains, would have greater weight with me than that of your discontented and troublesome followers. I could assign innumerable reasons for discontent amongst the Europeans, but will allude to one only, that bears out. Before the Government arrived in this Colony, there was no head to the Europeans. They rambled and roamed about the country, perfectly unrestrained. They acquired those large tracts of land, of which they accuse this Government to have done; and though many of them behaved well to you, and were your friends, there were many others who imposed on you to an extent which never has been practised since the Goverament has been here. - No! to which he and several replied. It is trus; and wherever we have a large body of Europeans, our laws and customs must be introduced amongst them; and these can only be enforced by authorised Officers, such as the Judge, Mr. Martin, at Auckland, whom you have seen here. These laws are intended to afford equal protection to you as to me; and to inflict equally severe punishment on me, as well as you. Our laws show no partiality; and by my employment, I am bound to see that no impositions are practised upon you; and should there be any report that such to be the case, will give you redress. The Government, then, presides over us all - a parent over a child; or a Chieftain over his tribe; encouraging what is good, and discouraging what is evil; conciliatory and friendly with the natives, and preventing wars and strife. The Heu Heu, as Chief and leader of his tribe, would be encouraged, and respected by the Governor, whose friendship to other Chiefs cannot but be too well known to you. The Governor is a Chief from his own country; and deserves our respect, so that we must not impute to him the desire of acquiring your territories; of which he has not the most distant thought; his object being to maintain you in your rights, and benefit yourselves, and all the future generations of your race, by making us as one people; by which we shall be enabled to live in peace together, and repel any invasions of persons who would exterminate your race. Live in happiness and contentment on the birds of the forest, and the eels of the rivers, and when your inclinations lead you to take of our European food, cultivate and plant it in your waste lands; and rest assured that all we shall require of you will be as welcome a reception as you have now given me, when we came to see you; and that we shall never deprive your Taupo laes, forests, and wilds, without your free consent. Heu Heu had abundance of food prepared for myself and natives; of the best his place could produce; as my time was short, I took every opportunity of conversing with this Chief. I wished him to let his second son, a lad of 16 years of age, come along with us. After a long conversation on his part he said that he would do so; but he did now wish us to go by Wanganui, as Turoa, the Chief of that district, might oppose it. Nor did he wish he should go by Tohupuku, as it would be the means of reaching a permanent peace with all those natives; at which many other tribes would be dissatisfied. Having given the boy a blanket and some tobacco, I prepared to leave, being in continual dread my long absence from Taranaki might lead to disturbances. In the afternoon, very much to the disappointment of my natives, who were enjoying the hospitality of Heu Heu, I left him and his happy group of followers. I cannot but admire the dignified manner in which he accompanied me to the wicket, (made in English style) of the enclosure; where he, in a graceful and friendly manner, which would have done credit to the most polished Chieftain of modern times, bade me good-bye. Slept that night 8 miles distant. Travelled on to a small plantation, by the side of a steep hill, called Puketapu; from the top of which I had a splendid view of the surrounding country; which, with the exception of the projecting hill, such as distant Taranaki, which my natives greeted when they saw it in the distance, nothing caught the eye but a continuous range of forest land. Here we pitched our tents, and prepared food for the Sunday. It was with satisfaction I ascertained from some of the natives along with me that I had removed many of the vague impressions formed by Heu Heu and his tribe. Irikau, with twenty followers, made a rustling noise, as they ascended the bank towards the encampment. The clanging of arms, barking of dogs, and cooeing of natives, was evidence of the little respect they had for the Sabbath. Some talked of going bird-catching for me. Others, who were Roman Catholics, had a Service of their own. The fiery Chief, himself, was in a furious temper, having had a fall from a horse, which swerved at a bridge over the river he had just crossed, from wearing an awkward pair of European shoes; and which he told me he had paid off the log well by giving it several knocks with his tomahawk; an instrument which he uses with great dexterity, and it rather astonished me that the shoes did not receive the same compliment! He told me, as he had previously determined to see the grazier who had robbed him and his brother of the pigs, he wished to pursue his journey forthwith. This, I told him, I would not consent to; and being in previous possession of the encampment, he must acknowledge me as his host; the same as I did his brother, when living at his place. "We shall both observe this day as Sunday, and live together, while I can tell you some of my customs, and you some of yours". This he quibbled at, and said all days were alike to him. On second thoughts he made up his mind to remain. While I had Prayers and Catechism with my natives, he withdrew, and returned to dinner in the afternoon, very much moderated and respectful in his demeanour, talking over various subjects, and spending the evening with me. Early in the morning we got under way, for the Revenge. The natives there were apprised, from a native sent by my guide, that Irikau was on his way, determined to have satisfaction for the pigs taken from him and his brother, by the Europeans then living with them. The name of this Chief, and his known valour as a warrior, spread terror throughout their ranks. But they, with the European, determined on resistance, shouting their War Song, they loaded their fire-arms, and prepared for an attack. Fortunately I arrived at the settlement some time before Irikau, and witnessed the war-like preparations. I immediately ordered the guns to be packed off; and advised them to receive Irikau quietly. I recommended the European, who seemed equally enraged with the natives, to alter his conduct; that I could not see natives endangering each other's lives entirely on his account; that he must submit the facts of the case to me, and abide by my decision; that I should have Irikau and he together to go into the case. He replied that he did not get his property to give to a lot of savages; that he already paid for the pigs. Irikau now made his appearance. The natives of the place having dispersed, I met him, to have him sit down, till Gotty and he laid the case before me. They both looked infuriated with each other; the one presuming on the strength of the assistance he could secure from the tribe he was living with; and the other, embittered with disappointment, the loss of the pigs, and the deceith practised on him. I could hardly reconcile them to the decorum necessary for such an investigation. I however, went on with the examination of the two Europeans; one who had previously been Gotty's partner, and that of several natives. I found that an interchange of presents had been given, which the natives stated, was for other purposes than the payment of pigs; and that they had been used with great deceit by Gotty, who led them to believe a large payment was to be sent by him from Wellington to the Chief; and that he would establish himself amongst them. Under this assurance, the natives who accompanied him from Taupo to Wellington, to drive his pigs, returned home without any remuneration for their trouble. As the various complications of the case might trouble a Lord Eldon - let alone a person so little versed in Law as myself - I considered the most suitable measure of adjustment of the case would be to make reparation, as much for the deception used, as the value of the pigs; which, after considerable trouble, was agreed to; and forty pounds of tobacco were handed over to Irikau, who was highly delighted with the adjustment. Instead of contention, satisfaction reigned throughout the village; and at my instance, the natives who had scattered about, returned from their lurking places, making several complimentary speeches on the mode of adjustment, which I said would be doubly acceptable if they supplied Irikau and myself and followers with a supply of food. This caused general laughter, a continuation of speeches, and shaking of hands. As night was approaching, I removed to a little valley, from the settlement, and pitched my tent, having met with the young Chief I had left behind, Taihori, and the rest of my native boys; who, with Heu Heu's son, and all the Mission natives, came to Evening Prayers; after which some of them slept round me, with loaded muskets, dreading an attack during the night, from a bush native, reputed to be at large, and very troublesome. Observed a very marked difference in the conduct of the Chief, Rawiri, the Chief of the natives of the Pah, who had now become unbounded in their hospitality, of which they were before so deficient; several pigs being killed, with abundance of other food served up for us. This, of course, I handed over to the Taupo's, merely reserving what we ourselves required; and with the best wishes of Irikau, whom I directed to leave the settlement simultaneously with myself, in case of a quarrel after leaving. I started for Wanganui, whilst he and his followers bounded over the mountains and forests, to the Taupo country. Got into a canoe early in the morning, having slept comfortably on the banks of the river, the preceding night; and with my old servant Paddy, the Yankee, and fresh guides for the river. We dropt down the seven rapids to Kaiatahu, where there were few natives, the rest being bird-catching at Tuhaha. Heavy rain. Slipped down the river at a rapid rate, to Kirikiriroa, where there was a native and his wife. Remained there till Monday. Not being able to proceed, from the heavy freshes in the river, I had been forced to remain. On the Friday I witnessed the most vivid lightning I have seen since coming to this country, which continued all day; my natives being endangered and angered by one of the Tuhahas having taken his blanket. The days I remained here were most uncomfortable, there being a difficulty in procuring food and firewood, from the impossibility of managing a canoe, with the freshet. The native's wife had been a few days delivered of a child, and permitted by her husband to cook and do all the work for our party, which she performed with great cheerfulness. We fed on a miserable allowance of potatoes and thistles, still looking as stout and fat as a Scotch dairy maid; this husband, like all "Lords of Creation" sitting at his ease on his blanket, smoking his pipe. To his surprise, I gave him a reprimand, for allowing her to work so much, and immediately set all my party to work to relieve her. The child seemed to be thriving under what we would consider great disadvantages. The Sunday I passed there was fine and clear, and on the Monday, 2nd. June, at an early hour in the morning, which was intensely cold, I was again under way down the river.