'war speech', by augustus earle, depicting an event of 1827-1828. A māori chief standing in a beached canoe, addressing a crowd of warriors, mostly seated, with a few standing. Two other long canoes are on the beach, one with a sail is in the water, and others are pulled up close to a pā or kāinga in the left background. A dog (kurī) sniffs the ground in the foreground. Most men are armed with guns, although one on the far right holds a taiaha. A gourd and flax kit are centrally placed amongst one group of men. Earle's text reads: "a party of warriors had collected at the bay of islands for the purpose of making a hostile visit to a hauraki tribe. They were detained by contrary winds; and for several days were constantly engaged in listening to speeches from their chiefs, who addressed them from a canoe hauled on shore. One [canoe], which i measured, was 70 feet long, and carried one hundred fighting men. ". Date: 1838.
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