In short he gives one of the most valuable pictures of Maori life in its entirely primitive stage.
A camp on shore was established for the invalids and another for the party engaged in cutting down the tall kauri pines for masts.

Crozet calls the kauri trees cedars, and is full of praises of their size and quality.

He was the officer in charge of the woodcutters.

On the 13th June he saw marching towards his camp a detachment from the ship fully armed and with the sun flashing on their fixed bayonets.

At once it occurred to him that something must be amiss--otherwise why fixed bayonets?
Going forward, Crozet bade the detachment halt, and quietly asked what was the matter.