were witnessed by the Commanders of the Asp and the Royal Sovereign supporting the bridegroom, and by Hongi, a native living at the house of Mr Clarke, and Rahi, a native of New Zealand. So reads the record on page 1 of the register, which at the time was of marriages solemnised in the Mission House at Mata Hui. But Tapsell's marriage was short-lived. After the celebrations provided by Captain Brind of the Asp, who provided a keg of rum for the toast, and a wedding feast of roast pork and plum-duff, the bridal couple, after dining with Mr Kendall, went among the native people to display Maria's bridal finery. Perhaps the rum, and wine provided at the missionary's table, were too much for Tapsell, but, during the stroll through the bush, the bridegroom sank into blissful slumber. When he awoke, Maria had disappeared. Nor did he ever see her again. In 1829, Tapsell learned that Maria was dead. He approached the Rev. Samuel Marsden who was visiting New Zealand to discuss the possibility of his marriage to a well-born girl who was known to Marsden. She was in fact the sister of the chief Waikato, who had accompanied Hongi to England, where they had been feted, and introduced to the King. Marsden, who had known her for fourteen years, speaks of her as a very fine woman, clean in her person, well-dressed in European clothes, and of a very amiable disposition, well acquainted with the English language. She had long resided amongst the missionaries who also spoke well of her. Marsden, after discussion with the missionaries (the brothers Williams and Brown), agreed to marry the couple. He performed the ceremony at Keri Keri on 21 April in the Chapel, and he himself gives some details, averring that the young woman (as he refers to her) was neatly dressed in European clothing of her own making. She conducted herself with the greatest propriety, making her responses very correctly in English. She was given away by her brother, Wharepoaka, who, in spite of his name was a very pleasant reliable person. Her brides-maid was her sister. Tapsell's second wife was a real help-mate; she was both brave and devoted, and served as his interpreter at Maketu, where Tapsell had opened a trading station. Early in 1833, Tapsell's wife died. Tapsell placed in her coffin a Turkish kreese which he always wore. With the arrival of the trading cutter, Tapsell took the coffin on board, and he himself took charge of the funeral ship for its journey back to the tribal lands of his wife's people. So ‘The White Woman’, as she was known at Maketu for her very fair complexion, was buried on a hill-top at Rangihoua in the Bay of Islands. The funeral service was read by John King, the resident missionary in that place. Tapsell's third wife was of the Arawa people, and was of the ninth generation in descent from Tutanekai, whose association with Hinemoa has given us the best-known love story in Maoridom. Hine-i-turama was a handsome woman of high degree, and the union was blessed with a numerous family, which in succeeding generations has brought honour both to the name of Tapsell and to the Arawa people from whom they have sprung. It was this union that was given benefit of Church by Bishop Pompallier in 1841 when he visited Whakatane. Tapsell requested that the ceremony take place out of doors, ‘where all hands can see it’. The manner of her death has become history, for it was witnessed by Major William Mair, the English officer who parleyed with the Maoris at Orakau, and received the famous reply that they would fight for ever and ever. Hine had been visiting her daughter in the Waikato who had married an English doctor. When the war reached the Waikato. Hine remained with her daughter and with the other inhabitants of the district took refuge in the newly-built