This they did through the medium of thirty
native warriors, who appeared before Poynton's house early in the
morning of January 22nd, when the bishop was preparing to say Mass.
The chief made a speech. He said the bishop and his priests were
enemies to the Maoris. They were not traders, for they had brought
no guns, no axes. They had been sent by a foreign chief (the Pope)
to deprive the Maoris of their land, and make them change their old
customs. Therefore he and his warriors had come to break the
crucifix, and the ornaments of the altar, and to take the bishop and
his priests to the river.
The bishop replied that, although he was not a trader, he had come as
a friend, and did not wish to deprive them of their country or
anything belonging to them. He asked them to wait a while, and if
they could find him doing the least injury to anyone they could take
him to the river. The warriors agreed to wait, and went away.
Next day the bishop went further up the river to Wherinaki, where
Laming, a pakeha Maori, resided. Laming was an Irish-Protestant who
had great influence with his tribe, which was numerous and warlike.
He was admired by the natives for his strength and courage. He was
six feet three inches in height, as nimble and spry as a cat, and as
long-winded as a coyote. His father-in-law was a famous warrior
named Lizard Skin.
Pages:
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26