6 ADVENTURE IN NEW^pJALAND. Chap. I. 
muskets and gunpowder formed the principal item. 
During the residence of Hongi and Waikato in Eng- 
land, their attention was steadily directed to the acqui- 
sition of fire-arms. Hongi had no sooner returned 
home with Mr. Kendal than he armed his own tribe, 
and its allies, with the warlike presents which he had 
received in England ; and, throwing aside the mask of 
Christian meekness which he had worn in this country, 
he appeared in his true character of an ambitious and 
bloodthirsty warrior. His superior weapons gave him 
an immense advantage over the tribes which he at- 
tacked in all directions from the seat of his own tribe 
near the Bay of Islands. Besides a bloody raid to the 
northward, which had the effect of ruining for a time 
the Wesleyan mission at fVangaroa, he directed all his 
strength against the powerful JVaikato tribes which 
inhabited the western coast of the North Island, be- 
tween Kaipara and IVaikato. These, after a bloody 
struggle of about two years' duration, were driven from 
their home. Turning to the southward in search of 
a new location, they employed against weaker tribes 
the skill and hardihood which they had acquired in 
resisting Hongi ; and these, again, being driven from 
their abode, attacked and either exterminated or drove 
out other tribes still more to the southward. The 
Waikato, expelled by Hongi and the Ngapuhi tribes, 
in their turn expelled the Ngatitoa tribes inhabiting 
Kawia and Mokau ; who again, being led by the 
chiefs Te Pehi and Rauperaha^ advanced upon 
the northern shore of Cook's Strait, crossed th© sea 
into the Middle Island, and extended their ravages 
as far as Otako, almost exterminating the abori- 
ginal inhabitants in their progress. The waves of 
destruction, to which Hongi with his muskets gave 
the first impulse, passed over nearly the whole 
