th the chiefs of Ngapuhi
as a sign of reconciliation, and were then all invited on board the
_Active_, where a merry breakfast brought old enemies together in
friendly intercourse.

The missionaries with twelve axes bought 200 acres of land on the shore
of the Bay of Islands. Half an acre was soon enclosed by a fence; a few
rough houses were built and a pole set up, upon which floated a white
flag with a cross and a dove and the words "Good tidings"; Ruatara made
a pulpit out of an old canoe, covered it with cloth, and put seats round
it. There, on Christmas Day, 1814, Marsden preached the first sermon in
New Zealand to a crowded Maori audience, who understood not one word of
what was said, but who, perhaps, were benefited by the general
impressiveness of the scene.

In the following February, Marsden returned to Sydney, thinking the
mission in a fair way of success. But all was not to be so harmonious as
he dreamt; the liberated convicts, who formed the bulk of the crews of
sealing and whaling vessels, treated the natives with coarseness and
arrogance; the Maoris were quick to revenge themselves, and the murders,
thefts, and quarrels along all the shore did more harm than the handful
of missionaries could do good. Three or four times they wished to leave,
and as often did Marsden return and persuade them to stay. Their lives
at least were safe; for Hongi, the Ngapuhi chief, found that they were
useful in the way of bringing trade about, but he was dissatisfied
because they would not allow guns and powder to be sold by the white men
to him and his people.

#13. Tribal Wars.#--Hongi saw that the tribe which possessed most guns was
sure to get the upper hand of all the others. He therefore contrived in
another way to secure these wonderful weapons. For in 1820 when Kendall
went home to England for a trip Hongi went with him, and saw with
constant wonder the marvels of the great city. The sight of the fine
English regiments, the arsenals, the theatres, the big elephant at
Exeter Change Menagerie, all impressed deeply the Maori from New Zealand
forests. He stayed for a while at Cambridge, assisting a professor to
compile a dictionary of the Maori language, and going to church
regularly all the time. Then he had an audience from George IV., who
gave him many presents, and among others a complete suit of ancient
armour. For a whole season, Hongi was a sort of lion among London
society. People crowded to see a chief who h