Chapter VII. A Search-party Frustrated, and their Carousals.

As a plank of floating timber drifts ashore, and grounds wherever the current guides it to, so does this my story go aground, wheresoever to in succession it is dragged, and which is once more upon the banks of the Tongaparutu. Not much, in short, above a stonethrow from where was left the young runaways last—at what some Pakehas humourously call—spooning! A Maori waihine, and a baby on her back, one morning shortly after, with her eyes scanning the ground, as if looking for pins and needles, was thereto readily observable. Before the alpha bet could once be gone through—down went the child from the woman's back; up sky-ward were stretched her long grizzly arms, and up also rose her voice in a wild shout of giddy triumph—the woman had discovered footprints upon the low lying driven sands, which at once confirmed her in the thought, that they were of those which herself and party had now been weeks diligently seeking. Immediately likewise, up went her hands funnelling her mouth, and from forth came such a coo-ce, as might have pierced the silence which everywhere around her then prevailed, for quite half the distance of a day's journey. Almost instantly the woman's call was responded to, and in a little time further on, all the party—consisting of other two women and three men—were scrutinising exultantly the marks, which the page 28 woman had by chance dropped her eyes upon. Everyone of the trackers were so uplifted at this, which was thought a turn of choice luck, that they scarcely knew how to control themselves, believing as is not unfrequently done much too soon, that they their birds were sure of by merely touching the tip of the feathers. After this first joy, in a way had spent itself, they betook themselves in different directions by pairs, to look for those whose undermost-ends had set, apparently recently too, their moulds in the sands. But disappointingly, after many hours search, they were forced, when light no longer held out, to return to the place from which they started; and there and then, to benumb the pain of failure as best they could—and what did they do for this complaint? but precisely that which is done in our own times for a similar disorder. They all drank until they were lively! then more, until they got wild! then more again, until they were stupid! then still further more, until their senses forsook them by deep, heavy sleep!

Meantime, for a little let them sleep on! and while so doing it may not be amiss to speak of what—in that far back time—they had got for to drink. * * * Know you, then, that the drink which our ancestors got fuddled upon in this Maori land of ours was from a berry, which has since drawn many bitter and loud curses from the pakeha, through its poisoning his horses and cattle—and is named the Tutu. A most unaccountable plant will be considered this tutu, when all that is known about its strange peculiarities are known. The juice of its berry is rich, and when expressed, without further trouble, produces wine, which for taste and strength is not unlike what the whites give the name of claret to. A single plant similar in size to that of the gooseberry has been known to produce as much fruit as to yield three or four pints; and a pint of which would go as far to make one see queer and feel strange as perhaps that of your expensive waipera! Taken in the mouth to suck, if the seed is not crushed, it is perfectly harmless; taken in the mouth, and a single seed bruised, it then becomes the rankest of all rank poisons! Again, if swallowed whole, it produces lightsome pleasantness: slightly burst the skin, then follows querulous heaviness! Upon horses and cattle raised on ground where the tutu is plentiful, its effects merely produce—when they are overgorged with it—occasional excitement; while those, on the other hand, partaking of it, which have been raised where tutu declines to show itself, meet with almost instant death. A great many page 29 more odd things are said about the tutu; which now I do not clearly bear in mind.

On the following morning, this party of trackers had quite recovered from their over-night tutu wine debauch; and after having their kai moata on wild roots and birds which they had brought from the previous day's excursion, each pair took their own way; I suppose, with renewed hope of the success which might attend their efforts during the long day in front of them. What a country to delight the vision, was that of this which these trackers were scouring? But scouring it, however, without taking, in the least, notice of anything, more than some deep hole in a rock, a dense thicket in the forest, or pits roofed over by clustering leaves and flowers of creepers! What heeded they of what bestowed embellishments to the immediate prospect?—It is really so extraordinary as hardly to be credited; but for all that, quite true that the Maori never takes the slightest account of anything particularly beautiful in his own home surroundings, unless for a time away from them, and then he begins to put two-and-two together by way of comparison, and then, and only then, is his nativity regarded by him with something like fitting gratification. The sense of taste within him which before was numb and motionless, as it were suddenly gets leavened. All his thoughts previous to such a change was how to seize his daily requirements, and on the other lay to do his best to prevent the daily requirements of others from stealithly seizing upon him!

I don't know how it may be with you Pakehas, but it seems to me with our people that they never tire of cracking up, everything and anything which has had existence before themselves; from the quantity and quality attributed to men and women, to the size, shape, and taste of—well! to even a slippery eel! I sometimes think that, if there are any specimens of a Maori left at the end of the next four thousand moons—three hundred years—and proportionately reduced to what they are said to have been since the beginning of the last four thousand, that they will be enabled if necessary by that time to squeeze themselves through the newly formed excavation of a rat! And, that if the evils within us keep on increasing during the coming space mentioned, as is told they have been doing in the past, it should be madness for a grain of trouble to be taken in trying to preserve such ever-sullying kernels as seedlings reserved for an unacquainted with beyond. Curiously, notwithstanding all that my ears have been opened to, of this incessant magnifying of the past, ever since it may be said I hugged the pap, I think as page 30 far as bulk, skill, force, thought, and action goes, that our forerunners were very much the same as ourselves! The Maori of old had his uproarious feasts, his squabbling runangas, his grievances and quarrels about land, long before he knew of such a thing existing as a pale face. No doubt, but that then, was different to this now, in many ways! to submit to one, of one's own hatch is altogether different; than to be one of a hatch when all in it have to submit to an alien hatch, on the foray for what they can find to swell their pickings.

The day apace crept round to a close, and pair after pair of these trailers also closed their exertions, and returned to their camp, tired, and dispirited. Those whom they thought on the morning of the preceding day to readily capture, had so far eluded their grasp, turning their sweetness to bitterness, their every hope to despair! What could be reverted to, under such a visitation of evil fate, so immediately soothing to their much troubled minds, as a few pupu-measures of the juice of the mysterious tutu? Soon, again amongst them the blood of the tutu began to show its first line of progress—with dancing, singing, and ribald jokes; the next line, vociferating, quarrelling, lighting; the third, thick-voice maudling, and staggering by unsteady limbs; and fourth and last, heavy-troubled sleep!

Surprise came upon them in the morning though, not much more than an hour after time had wafted this drugged sleep from their eyes! In the form of a messenger, with a message of recall, stating that they were all to return with the utmost swiftness back to the Taupo pa! The provoking thing about this startling message was this, that he who had delivered it, had only been the bearer for a short distance—had taken it up from another, as was at that time customary, in forwarding any urgent dispatch; therefore, this hastily pushed-on expressman could give no information as to the cause! When one fancies a good fish toying round their bait, it is vexing is it not? to have to shift one's position; so it was in this case with these pursuers. But they well knew, that it was as much as their heads were worth to disregard the order. What, however, may be said to have very much lessened their annoyance at leaving was, the curiosity which the vague-message whetted. Each of the six would have almost have parted with half of their ears to have known at the moment how such an unexpected affair, as their recall came about! Because, each of the party were firmly convinced, that such could not possibly have proceeded from any of the other lots turning up the fugitives; page 31 neither could it be, from any reported want of perseverance on their part, and for such lack to be replaced by others.

Anxiety to pierce that, which is wrapped around uncertainty gives swiftness to the limbs—ere the sun had gone down that very day, the recalled had went over more than twenty miles of ground, and found themselves on the northern side of the Mokau river. There soon their anxiety got relief, as to what had made them retrace their footsteps—Raniera a young chief, with a numerous following, away east at Oropi, had dealt unlawfully with one of the search-parties' wahines. For this offence, all Raniera's goods were threatened to be sequestered for the benefit of the aggrieved wahine's husband, which is Maori strict law, a law which I think might be put into practice by the pakeha to the advantage of many. Raniera, on this occasion—a very rare thing—put the law at defiance! Not only that, but by a liberal distribution of alluring promises, managed to collect nearly two-thousand men to assist him in attacking Matomato, ere Matomato had time to attack him.—We shall find out in good time how fared Raniera; scowling clouds sometimes show themselves and glide away again without any storm; and Matomato was not one to be caught sightless with wind-blown dust, whenever the moon bulges out like the sun, eftsoon it gets reduced!