However, he had
been successful in his farmer operations, but was entirely puzzled by
those of the miller, only knowing that the grain ought to be ground, and
unable to contrive it, though he had borrowed a coffee-mill from a
trading vessel. When the new comers produced a hand-mill he was
delighted. His kindred, to whom he had been a laughing-stock for
averring that biscuit had any connection with his new grass, crowded
round incredulously to watch the mill, showed unbounded amazement as the
white flour streamed forth, and when a cake was hastily made and baked in
a frying-pan they leapt about shouting and dancing for joy. Duaterra,
his uncle Hunghi, a very powerful chief, and five more, accepted an
invitation to come and confer with Mr. Marsden, and the _Active_ brought
them back to New South Wales. They were very anxious for the benefits
which they hoped to derive from intercourse with the whites, and readily
undertook to secure Hall and King from all danger. Even Governor
Macquarie was so far satisfied that he consented to let Mr. Marsden go
out and arrange the new settlement, to which he presented two cows and a
bull. These, with three horses, and some sheep and poultry, were
embarked on board the _Active_, with a motley collection of passengers,
the eight Maories, the three missionaries with their wives and children,
a sawyer, a smith, Mr. Marsden, and another gentleman named John Lydiard
Nicholas, the master of the vessel, his wife, son, and crew, which
included two Tahitians, and lastly a runaway convict who had secreted
himself on board. Their arrival might have been rendered dangerous by
the conduct of a whaling crew at Wangaroa, in the northern island of New
Zealand, who, by way of retaliation for the massacre of the _Boyd's_ ship-
company, had murdered a chief named Tippahee with all his family, without
waiting to find out whether he had been concerned in the slaughter.
Nevertheless, these brave men were ready to dare to the utmost, and the
fame of Mr. Marsden, "the friend of the Maori," had preceded him, and the
_Active_ was welcomed with presents of fish and visits from the natives.

They found that Tippahee's people at Wangaroa had accused the tribe of
the Bay of Islands of leading the English to murder their chief, that
there was in consequence a deadly feud, and that several desperate
battles had been fought. Marsden knew that if he came as the friend of
Duaterra and his tribe alone, party spiri