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plan worthy of a better cause. He said to two of his men, who were splendid swimmers, “I want you to go in the sea and pretend to be kekenos (seals); swim along the beach until you get opposite the pa, then come in and flounder in the surf, and they will rush out to kill you. We will watch them, and as soon as they leave the pa we will rush in.” The plan succeeded only too well. The hungry Natives in the early morning seeing, as they thought, two seals sporting in the surf, ran out in a body to take them, as their provisions had been exhausted for three days. Rauparaha had his men scattered round, so that possession was gained almost at once. And now the guns began to tell, and these poor Natives, wasted by hunger and continual watching, had not the strength to resist, so, after numbers of them were shot, the rest threw down their arms and surrendered. The men who were playing the seals paid the penalty of death, as they were caught before Rauparaha had time to relieve them. From this place about forty prisoners and a lot of greenstone were taken.

They then left for the Straits, and on their arrival found the brig Elizabeth, Captain Stewart, loading spars. A bargain was struck with him: that for fifty tons of dressed flax he was to land Rauparaha and fifty fighting men at Wangaloa, Banks Peninsula, and bring them back to the island of Te Manu, in the Straits. The captain agreed to this, but it is said, whilst he was down below with Rauparaha, over one hundred Natives came on board, and concealed themselves below until after the vessel was well outside. The Peninsula was made in two days, and the brig beat up and anchored abreast of the pa. All the Natives were out of sight under hatches, so that she was supposed to be a whaler, and as a good trade was generally to be done with them, some of the Natives put off to her. It happened that in the