esenting
the injured Henou with a quantity of potatoes.

The most singular part of the debate, however, was yet to come; for
immediately after the sham fight, the old orator again rose, and,
although vehement enough at the beginning of his harangue, became still
more so as he proceeded, till at last he grew quite outrageous, and
jumped about the field like a person out of his senses.

In the latter part of the debate, Wiveah and Henou themselves took up
the discussion of the question, and seem, by the account given, to have
handled it with more mildness and good temper than almost any of their
less interested associates.

At the close of Wiveah's last address, however, "his three wives," says
Nicholas, "now deemed it expedient to interpose their oratory, as
confirming mediators between the parties, though there was no longer any
enmity existing on either side. They spoke with great animation, and the
warriors listened to their separate speeches in attentive silence. They
assumed, I thought, a very determined tone, employing a great deal of
impressive action, and looking towards the opposite chief with an
asperity of countenance not warranted by the mild forbearance of his
deportment. The expostulating harangues, as I should suppose they were,
of these sturdy ladies completed the ceremonials of this singular
conference; and the reconciliation being thus consummated, the parties
now entertained no sentiments towards each other but those of reciprocal
amity."

It would appear that the New Zealand women sometimes carry their martial
propensities farther than they are stated to have done in the present
case. Nicholas was once not a little surprised, while witnessing a sham
fight, to observe Duaterra's wife, the Queen of Tippoonah,[CL] exerting
himself, with most conspicuous courage, among the very thickest of the
combatants.

Her majesty was dressed in a red gown and petticoat, which she had
received as a present from Marsden, that reverend gentleman having been
obliged himself, in the first instance, to assist in decorating her with
these novel articles of attire; and, holding in her hand a large
horse-pistol, always selected the most formidable hero she could find as
her antagonist.

She was at last, however, fairly exhausted; and stood, at the conclusion
of the exhibition, Nicholas tells us, panting for breath. "In this
state," says he, "she was pleased to notice me with a distinguished mark
of flattering condesce