ttlement occupied the next fortnight. By the
second Sunday in the new year a large building was sufficiently advanced
to serve as a church. In a few days more this was divided into separate
apartments for the residence of the mission families.

Marsden was now at liberty to think of certain subordinate objects of
his visit--exploration and trade. In obedience to the Governor's
instructions, he took his brig on an exploring tour down the Hauraki
Gulf. On his return he had the vessel loaded with timber and flax for
conveyance to New South Wales. The expedition had, of course, been an
expensive matter, and it must be remembered that he had strained his own
private resources to provide means for its equipment. He had all along
looked to recoup himself for some of his outlay by a trade in logs and
spars. By the middle of February the vessel had received her cargo, the
missionaries were settling down in their new home, and his leave of
absence was nearing its expiration. But before he set sail two duties
claimed his attention. A child had been born to Mr. and Mrs. King, and
Marsden determined to make the first administration of Holy Baptism in
this heathen land as impressive as possible. The infant was brought out
into the open air. Many of the Maoris as well as the white folk stood
around while the little one was solemnly admitted into the congregation
of Christ's flock.

The other duty was less pleasant, and called for all the missionary's
skill and resource. Poor Ruatara had fallen ill in the hour of his
triumph--a victim, it would seem, to his admiration for the white man's
ways. At the service on Sunday, February 12th, he had been present in
European clothes, which had set off to advantage his manly form and
European-like features. The day was rainy, and probably he had gone home
in his wet clothes and thus contracted pneumonia. On the next day he was
suffering from a chill and fever which defied the kindly attentions of
Nicholas, who visited him daily until the _tohunga_ forbad his
admission. When Marsden returned from his trading enterprise he could
only force an entrance by threatening to bombard the town with the
ship's guns. The invalid seemed grateful for his visit and rallied for a
little time, but as soon as Marsden sailed for Australia he grew rapidly
worse. On the third day he was carried from his home and deposited on
the top of a bare hill to await his end. Ruatara has been often compared
with the Russian Pe