reported that the progress of surveying was becomingly exceedingly difficult, and every morning he awoke to find that the station posts had been removed by the natives. Rangihaeta was at that time on Mana Island although he also had a pa on the mainland at Porirua where he was sometimes known to reside for short periods. Kettle constantly dreaded his arrival. He was fortunate that rough seas prevented the chief from crossing over during the first two weeks and taking an active part in obstructing the work. In the meantime he avoided all conversation with the natives as he considered that his very presence there was in itself dangerous enough. When at last Rangihaeta did arrive the unfortunate surveyor was compelled to abandon his work and return to Port Nicholson without delay. He told a committee of the House of Commons a year or two later that his life was in danger when the chief landed. “As soon as he came on shore,” said Kettle, “he knocked me down, and made me go away immediately, and we were not on friendly terms.” Throughout the following year Rangihaeta created further disturbances in preventing the settlers from occupying the Porirua district. At a public meeting in Wellington a resolution was passed expressing “the willingness of the entire population to assist the sheriff in the due execution of the law.” When brought to the attention of the Police Magistrate. Mr Murphy, his only reply was that when he thought it expedient he would call upon them. The agent for the land lodged informations against Rangihaeta for riot, etc., with the Crown Prosecutor, who filed an indictment upon which the agent applied to Mr Murphy to issue process in the shape of a capias, to arrest the chief. In a letter, to Capt. Hobson dated 29 April 1842, Murphy explained “I declined to have anything to do with the matter as it had been taken entirely out of my hands and because a capias could only be issued by a court competent to try the offence.” While Te Rauparaha had established a large pa on the mainland at Plimmerton called Taupo he had in the meantime taken up temporary residence at Otaki. From this place he announced his intention of preventing the spread of European settlement further up the Hutt Valley as he claimed that it all belonged to him and he had not received any payment for it. The Ngatitama chief Taringa Kuri (Dog's ear) was therefore sent with some of his people to clear land in the valley, and at Porirua Rangihaeta began organising reinforcements to assist him. Throughout July and August of 1842 Mr Hals-well. Commissioner of Native Reserves on the Company's settlement received many letters complaining of outrages committed by the natives on the settlers in the Hutt district. Several personal applications were made, and one in particular from a Mr Molesworth requested Halswell's interference to reinstate some tenants on one of the upper sections of the Hutt, whose houses had been destroyed by the natives, and the settlers driven off. Taringa Kuri with some of his people had chosen to build a settlement on the property occupied by Mr Swainson who tried in vain to dissuade the chief from felling trees close to his house. At Swainson's urgent request Halswell journeyed to the Hutt where he had a long conference with Taringa Kuri, Te Kohira, Te Rehi, and other chief speakers of the Ngatirangatahi. He then offered to put Te Kuri on any native reserve he might prefer, and the chief is said to have agreed to this arrangement while the Ngatirangatahi promised to remain quiet until Mr Spain made his award. Halswell considered the Hutt disturbances to have been settled. But the arrival of more emissaries from Te Rauparaha and Rangihaeta with further instructions produced a renewal of hostile acts which necessitated more visits. Te Wharepouri, Te Puni, Wi Tako, and many other Ngatiawa chiefs approached Halswell expressing their strong indignation at these outrages. They were anxious for permission to attack Taringa Kuri and his people in their old way, but needless to say Halswell declined their offer. In a report to Wakefield on the Hutt Valley disturbances he expressed a grave fear that unless some demonstration of physical force be made, either by a company of men or a small body of militia, then the consequences would be very serious. Portrait of Te Rauparaha, from a sketch by C. D. Abbott. (TURNBULL LIBRARY PHOTOGRAPH).