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were a great many men around the fire waiting for me, and when I made my appearance they began asking questions. I may as well state here, that all the Maoris, men and women, were then close by, and ready to give me any assistance. There is no need to tell what they were armed with, but there would have been bloodshed that night had the diggers interfered with me, as some of them had taken the potatoes out of the pits of the natives at the Taramakau. The first question put to me by the aforesaid Dutchman was: ‘Vell, vot did you corse dis rush for?’ I answered that I did not cause the rush. That, when in Nelson to get a small vessel to bring me to the Grey, I called them together and told them that I was only going prospecting—that I did not lead them to believe that they