light was instantly put on again, and fastened down by the people on deck, and soon afterwards all was silent. Eitouna supposes that the captain and crew became alarmed when they found the New Zealanders in possession of fire-arms, and had barricaded all the hatchways, to gain time to get out their boats and make their escape; for when he and his party eventually got upon deck, there was no one to be seen. He stated that twenty-eight of their men and one woman were killed, and twenty others wounded. He believes that the attack was provoked by the people of Eimaré's pah, who wished to get possession of some articles which the seamen endeavoured to prevent; he said, also, that had it not been for the fire-arms they found, the French would have put them all to death. The fight lasted from two hours after sunset until two o'clock in the morning.
Captain Cécille had learned at the Bay of Islands that the pahs of Chatham Island were placed beyond the reach of the guns of a vessel at the anchorage; he made his dispositions accordingly, and landed a large force the day after his arrival. The party met with no resistance: all the pahs were abandoned; they saw a few of the New Zealanders, who fled into the woods, where it was neither prudent nor possible to follow them. The fortifications were entirely destroyed by fire, as well as some large canoes: they also found several articles that had belonged to the French whaler, and one of her boats, which was launched and taken on