46 Transactions. 
From the chiefs of this tribe, Te Rauparaha obtained a musket, with a quantity 
of ammunition, gifts of very great value at that time, and indicating the 
estimation in which he was held by his hosts. He also visited Kaipara, 
where he soon gained the friendship of the Ngatiwhatua, and other tribes in 
that district, and on his way back went to the Waitemata—he succeeded in 
forming an alliance with Kiwi and the son of Tihi, chiefs of the great tribes 
which then occupied that part of the country. I am led to understand that 
these visits took place between 1810 and 1815, and that Te Rauparaha then 
entertained the design of forming an extensive alliance against the Waikatos, 
under Te Wherowhero, with the intention of completely destroying them ; but 
he found it impossible to effect his object, and chiefly for the following reason : 
After the establishment of the convict settlements in Australia, the South Seas 
were much frequented by whale ships, and the eastern coast of New Zealand, 
which then afforded a large supply of these valuable animals, became one of the 
principal whaling grounds. In the course of their y ships often resorted 
to the Bay of Islands and the Harbour of Ia: for supplies of water and 
vegetables; and during these visits, the natives first learnt the use and power 
of the musket. The tribes with whom the chief intercourse took place, were 
the Ngapuhi, who at once saw the immense power which the possession of 
such a weapon would confer upon them in their contests with their enemies. 
Previously to this period, their own country had been constantly devastated 
by the powerful and warlike tribes of the Thames, and they naturally burned 
for revenge. Singularly enough, they were much aided in their object by the 
establishment of the mission stations, formed in the year 1813 under the 
Rey. Mr. Marsden, who had brought down with him, from Australia, pigs and 
poultry, and many kinds of vegetables, amongst which, the most valuable were 
the Indian corn and the potato. The pigs were suffered to run wild, and, 
having increased very much, were usually caught with dogs when wanted for 
purposes of trade, the natives themselves rarely using them for food, but they 
eagerly and successfully cultivated all the species of vegetables which had been 
introduced. Moreover, during the intercourse which took place between 
them and the whale ships, many natives visited Port Jackson, where they 
had further opportunities of learning the destructive power of the European 
weapons, and the eagerness of the tribes to procure them became so great, 
that twenty hogs, obtained at the expense of enormous labour, and worth to 
the ships more than as many pounds, were often given in exchange for a 
musket not worth ten shillings. In effect, the muskets usually sold to these 
natives were of a very worthless kind, and would not, in a contest with 
European troops, have been considered particularly dangerous weapons ; 
whilst the natives own want of knowledge of the proper mode of taking care 
of them, soon led to the greater number of them becoming hopelessly out of 
