" Mr. Bushby has allowed him
to finish his discourse, and then has quietly replied by some
answer such as, "What else shall your slave do for you?" The man
would then instantly, with a very comical expression, cease his
braggadocio.
Some time ago Mr. Bushby suffered a far more serious attack. A
chief and a party of men tried to break into his house in the
middle of the night, and not finding this so easy, commenced a
brisk firing with their muskets. Mr. Bushby was slightly wounded,
but the party was at length driven away. Shortly afterwards it was
discovered who was the aggressor; and a general meeting of the
chiefs was convened to consider the case. It was considered by the
New Zealanders as very atrocious, inasmuch as it was a night
attack, and that Mrs. Bushby was lying ill in the house: this
latter circumstance, much to their honour, being considered in all
cases as a protection. The chiefs agreed to confiscate the land of
the aggressor to the King of England. The whole proceeding,
however, in thus trying and punishing a chief was entirely without
precedent. The aggressor, moreover, lost caste in the estimation of
his equals; and this was considered by the British as of more
consequence than the confiscation of his land.
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