The Maori Festival which took place in May, 1844, on the outskirts of the city, near Mount St. John, forms a contrast to the troubles which the Government was having with the natives in the North. This was a gathering of some two or three thousand Maoris collected "from various remote districts of the Island ... for the purpose of still more cementing that friendship and good feeling which their now superior knowledge teaches to be essential to their comfort and happiness." The Governor (Captain Fitzroy) visited, on May 11th, the ground where the festival was held, and was well received by the natives, who danced hakas in his honour. The following note on the feeding of these thousands is taken from _The Southern Cross_ of May 18th, 1844. "The preparations made for the feast were enormous. A wall of potatoes in baskets extended nearly for a quarter of a mile, covered on the top with several thousand dried sharks and dog fishes. Opposite to this potato wall was a shade of the same length, covered over with blankets, which were intended as presents to their guests. The number of the blankets could not be short of five hundred." The correspondent adds: "Some of our English manufacturers would have relished such a sight." From what we have learned from our investigations into those early days, almost any of the settlers would have relished the sight still more. At the time the population of Auckland was only 2754 persons, and such a gathering, while the native war in the North still continued, must have caused no little concern both to the authorities and the settlers. A year after the capture of Ruapekapeka, on January 11th, 1846, which ended the war in the North, an attempt was made by Hone Heke to instigate an attack on Auckland, and for this purpose invited the Kaipara and Waikato chiefs to join him. He sent messengers to Mangere, where they met the Waikato chiefs, including Potatau (Te Wherowhero), Kati, Te Wherepu, Taka-anini, Tutere, Ngapora, and others. After conveying the presents which Hone Heke had sent, and having stated the object of their mission, Potatau consulted with the assembled chiefs, and on the following day returned a bag of bullets, which had formed part of the gift Hone Heke had sent to him, and declined to take part in the suggested attack upon the Pakeha, stating that the chief of Ngapuhi would have to dispose of his shadows first. Tuhaere agreed with Potatau, saying, "My word is one with thine, O Potatau." The messengers returned home, but Heke did not venture to attack with the other tribes hostile, and so the project failed. [Illustration: Commercial Bay, 1844 Showing Shortland Street and St. Paul's Church _After a drawing by Lieut. Godfrey, R.N., M.R.C.S. (H.M.S. Urgent) in the Old Colonists' Museum_]