Patuone had likewise induced the Wesleyan missionaries to settle upon his
land, about a mile below; so that the head of this river assumed quite
the appearance of a civilised colony.

Our party now disembarked. We landed in a dense forest, which reached to
the water's edge; and our guides and slaves began to divide the loads
each was to carry on his back. Several joined us from the two English
stations on the river, and we then amounted to a very large party; all in
high spirits, and anxious to proceed on our journey. When our natives had
distributed the luggage, they loaded themselves, which they did with both
skill and quickness; for a New Zealander is never at a loss for cords or
ropes. Their plan is to gather a few handfuls of flax, which they soon
twist into a very good substitute: with this material they formed slings,
with which they dexterously fastened our moveables on their backs, and
set off at a good trot, calling out to us to follow them.




CHAPTER VI.

MEETING WITH THE CHIEF PATUONE.


We travelled through a wood so thick that the light of heaven could not
penetrate the trees that composed it. They were so large and so close
together that in many places we had some difficulty to squeeze ourselves
through them. To add to our perplexities, innumerable streams intersected
this forest, which always brought us Europeans to a complete standstill.