Boundary

Chapter 8

Te Rauparaha was a very senior and powerful chief who lived a good day's run from Port Nicholson and controlled most of the lands in the region. A few years earlier, Te Wharepouri was fighting a northern iwi , and sought the help of Te Rauparaha. When asked, he had declined to come to the aid of Te Wharepouri, yet in spite of the wishes of their chief, half of his people thankfully had come to help him and aid in his victory.

"You do know why Te Rauparaha did not support you?" Te Puni said with a grin.

"Because of a woman?" Te Wharepouri looked at Te Puni, who began to laugh.

"You've met her, you know what Te Rauparaha must have endured - you should be offering him pity, not anger."

Te Wharepouri laughed, then spoke with gravity. "We must consult with Te Rauparaha and receive his blessing before we accept Pakeha gifts in exchange for allowing them to use our land."

"Ngaiti said Wakefield will be here tomorrow, so we have no time to talk with Te Rauparaha," Te Puni offered.

The two men sat silently thinking about the problem.

Finally Te Wharepouri spoke. "We will allow Wakefield to use our lands and we will accept those gifts he will offer."

"But cousin, you can't to do that without Te Rauparaha's approval," said Te Puni with concern.

"Wakefield doesn't know that," Te Wharepouri said with a sly smile. "We should send a message to Te Rauparaha and tell him exactly what Ngaiti told us. Perhaps we should send Honi. He can also tell him that we will accept Wakefield's gifts."

Te Puni looked at Te Wharepouri with some hope.

"I believe that Wakefield will seek to talk to Te Rauparaha very soon. And when he does, Te Rauparaha should say to Wakefield. 'I know nothing of what Te Wharepouri has done, I was not consulted, and so I do not recognize any arrangement you have made with Te Wharepouri.' Do you see cousin? That means Wakefield has to offer gifts to Te Rauparaha for the use of our land, this will cost Wakefield much." Te Wharepouri laughed.

"But why is this a good thing?" asked Te Puni.

"Because cousin, those gifts of muskets and powder will go to us and to Te Rauparaha, not to those chiefs who would take our homes and e*****e us. It means the Pakeha will live amongst us and we will be safer."

"You will be seen to be a fool by Wakefield and some Māori. They will see you as nothing more than being greedy, in love with power and the trinkets they offer."

"Let them think that. I care about the safety of all people, not just Māori. This plan offers peace, even if I am seen to be a fool."

With a devious smile Te Puni said, "And we are making it very difficult for the Pakeha."

The next morning, Honi and his brothers, along with some guides to ensure they didn't lose their way, were sent overland to see Te Rauparaha. Te Puni and Te Wharepouri went to the waka , to prepare and await Wakefield's arrival.

Port Nicholson, Sept 20th 1839

With a flourish, the pencil danced around the paper almost as if it had a mind of its own. Deft strokes left dark lines and gentle, precise sweeps created lighter shades and textures, highlighting the artist's skill. The increasing wind caught the paper's edge and attempted to liberate the unfinished drawing. Unperturbed, and with infinite patience, the artist held the page in place with his palm and continued to transform random marks into a recognizable image that represented the panorama before him. Charles Heaphy, the young draughtsman employed by the New Zealand Company, sat on a chair amidships as the Tory made her way into Port Nicholson for the first time. He continued to sketch, oblivious to the wind and changing scenery, but honest to the image captured in his mind that his pencil created.

Beside Heaphy sat another young man and friend, eighteen-year-old Edward Jerningham Wakefield, the nephew of expedition leader Colonel William Wakefield. He also applied his skill with pen to paper. Not to sketch and create visual impressions; Jerningham, as he preferred to be called, created sentences and literary accounts of the sights he witnessed. He scratched his journal entries with pious dedication, interpreting with the mind of youthful naivety life's experiences and familial loyalties.

Closer to the bow, Eleanor Stewart stood at the rail and enjoyed the respite from the unpleasantness of the whaling station. Her buoyant mood was reflected by all aboard, the excitement and nervousness of the unknown in sharp disparity to the idleness and boredom they all felt from Te Awaiti. She looked behind her and checked on her husband. Predictably he sat reading the Society of the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge magazine he was never without. She smiled, comforted by his presence. Married only a few months before their departure from England, the couple had yet to enjoy the normal life of a husband and wife deeply in love.