Page:Old Westland (1939).pdf/68

50 my resolution of returning he was very glad and said that having only one white man was too big a responsibility on his hands; if there were two he would not care, as, if any accident occurred, one might live to tell the fate of the other. ‘But,’ he said, ‘if you died it would be said that I had killed you for the sake of eating or plunder.’. . .”

Travelling back in fine weather and by easy stages, Brunner reached the Arahura on December 22nd where he notes he “feasted on new potatoes, a treat—having lived lately on fish.” The day following he walked to the Taramakau, and on Christmas Eve reached the Mawhera Pa, where many natives had gathered to celebrate fittingly the religious services pertaining to this great occasion.