e avengers, and though the offending crew had
sailed away, it was apprehended that all the English might suffer in
their stead. There was not an hour to be lost. Mr. Marsden and Mr.
Williams crossed the bay and entered the camp of the English allies,
where they were affectionately greeted, and allowed to carry proposals of
peace to the victorious party, but there they met with a less friendly
reception, being told that they were answerable for the lives of those
who had fallen in the battle, since it had been occasioned by the
misconduct of their countrymen. When Mr. Marsden promised to write to
England to prevent the return of the offenders, the savages desired he
would do no such thing, since they only desired vengeance. However, they
agreed to hold a meeting with the hostile tribe, and endeavour to come to
terms. Early the next morning thirty-six canoes arrived opposite to the
mission station, some containing forty men; and notice was given that if
the commissioners appointed on either side did not come to terms, the
white men would be the sacrifice.

The day was spent in conferences, but at night the chief of the hostile
tribe clove a stick in two, in token that his anger was broken, and the
two parties joined in a hideous war-dance, frequently firing their
muskets; but peace was ratified, and Mr. Marsden found that real progress
had been made among the natives around the stations. Many had become
true and sincere Christians, among them the widow and daughters of
Hunghi. A Maori Christian woman was married by Mr. Marsden to an
Englishman. She made all the responses in good English, and appeared in
decent English clothes of her own sewing. He also married a young man,
free, and of good family, to a girl who had been a slave taken in war,
who was redeemed from her master for five blankets, an axe, and an iron
pot. A number of natives lived round the missions, attending the
services, and working with a good deal of industry and intelligence, and
an increasingly large proportion of these were openly baptized
Christians.

A seventh visit was paid by Mr. Marsden in 1837, when seventy-two years
of age. On his return an officer in the ship observed: "I think, sir,
you may look on this as your last visit to New Zealand." "No," he
answered, "I intend to be off again in about six weeks; the people in the
colony are becoming too fine for me now. I am too old to preach before
them, but I can talk to the New Zealand