coast, and who could speak Maori. These bodies of natives, you
understand, had prevented all news travelling. That was how they were
able to get so near, without our being aware of it.

'What was I to do? Was I to delay until actually attacked? That would
have been to wait for too much proof of the plot; and my information
satisfied me. I had a picked force put on board a man-of-war lying at
Wellington, and with it, and another small vessel, we set out for
Rauparaha's country. Besides myself, only three or four of the officers,
I suppose, knew the nature of our mission. We landed, after dark, at a
point of the sea coast near Rauparaha's camp, quietly surrounded it,
burst in and captured him. The thing was to swoop into the camp before
the Maoris could have any warning, or attempt to resist. Thus an
encounter, involving slain and wounded, would be avoided. Rauparaha was
taken off to the ships in a boat, and we conveyed him to Wellington.

'The results were as I had anticipated, for Rauparaha being our prisoner,
there was nobody to give the word of command to the Maori disaffectants,
who melted away. I told Rauparaha there were two courses open to him. He
could take his trial, before an open court, for what he had done, or he
could remain a prisoner, until I thought the interests of peace would
permit me to release him. He elected to continue my prisoner, and other
chiefs became bail for him when I did let him go.

'Rauparaha's defence was that he intended no harm, and that he was not in
the plot, for he admitted there was a plot. I asked him why, if he meant
no harm, he did not tell me that all these men had come so near. To that
he had no answer, and besides I submitted to him a letter, which had been
sent up the coast, telling the men to march down. He called the letter a
forgery, but there was no question, in my judgment, that it was dictated
by him and circulated by his desire. The best proof of its genuineness
was that its plan was carried out, that the Maoris did collect in
response to it. Nobody could have managed the business but Rauparaha.

'What would have been the outcome of an attack on Wellington? Turmoil! I
certainly believe that it would have been attacked. Then, a large force
must have been sent to punish the raiders, or Wellington would have had
to be abandoned. In either event, the progress of New Zealand would have
been thrown back for years.'

Though restored to his tribe, Rauparaha never regained