Wakefield cleared his throat and Dickie Barrett stepped forward and greeted Te Puni with a traditional hongi. Te Puni bent down to the shorter Barrett as they pressed noses and foreheads together briefly in the traditional Māori greeting. As Barrett welcomed Te Puni, Te Wharepouri continued his appraisal of Wakefield, studying his uniform and the many adornments on it. Te Wharepouri was impressed, the fabric looked strong and held colour easily, and it was not coarse, but woven finely and looked durable. He must obtain such cloth but without the useless decorations, he thought.
Barrett then greeted Te Wharepouri with a hongi, who returned the gesture by holding out his arm and shaking Barrett's hand in the Pakeha custom that he'd learned.
Once Te Wharepouri and Te Puni had been formal
