“Being at length driven from this wretched shelter by the rain, which was still beating against me, I crept into the house, through the narrow aperture that served for a door; and, stretching myself among my rude friends, I endeavoured to get some repose; but I found this equally impossible here as in the place I had left.  The pain in my head still continued; and those around me, being all buried in profound sleep, played, during the whole night, such music through their noses, as effectually prevented me from being able to join in the same chorus.”

On one occasion, in the course of his second visit, Marsden spent the night in the house of a chief, the entrance to which was of such narrow dimensions that he could not, he says, creep in without taking his coat off.  The apartment altogether measured only about fourteen feet by ten; and when he looked into it he found a fire blazing on the centre of the floor, which made the place as hot as an oven, there being no vent for the smoke, except through the hole which served for a door.  However, the fire, on his entreating it, was taken out, and then he and his friend, Butler, who was with him, crept in, and were followed by their entertainer, his wife and nephew.  The hut was still extremely hot, and they perspired profusely when they lay down, but they were a little relieved by the New Zealanders consenting to allow the door to remain open during the night.

Another time he was thrust into a still closer dormitory.  “The entrance,” says he, “was just sufficient for a man to creep into.  Being very cold, I was glad to occupy such a warm berth.  I judged the hut to be about eight feet wide, and twelve long.  It had a fire in the centre; and no vent either for smoke or heat.  The chiefs who were with us threw off their mats and lay down close together in a state of perfect nudity.  I had not been many minutes in this oven, before I found the heat and smoke, above, below, and on every side, to be insufferable.  Though the night was cold, Mr. Kendall and myself were compelled to quit our habitation.  I crept out, and walked in the village, to see if I could meet with a shed to keep me from the damp air till the morning.  I found one empty, into which I entered.  I had not been long under my present cover before I observed a chief, who came with us from the last village, come out of the hut which I had left, perfectly naked.  The moon shone very bright.  I saw him run from hut to hut, till at last he found me under my shed, and urged me to return.  I told him I could not bear the heat, and requested him to allow me to remain where I was; to which he at length consented with reluctance.  I was surprised at the little effect that heat or cold seemed to have upon him.  He had come out of the hut smoking like a hot loaf drawn from the oven, walked about to find me, and then sat down, conversed some time, without any clothing, though the night was cold.  Mr. Kendall remained sitting under his mat, in the open air, till morning.”