HONE HERE. 
343 
told, was the sign of their being reduced to slavery. He, 
therefore, went and cut it down (July, 1844). 
Captain Fitzroy, the Governor, sent for some military from 
Sydney, about 180 of the 99 th Regiment. On their arrival, 
he held a meeting with Heke, Walker Nene, Moses Tawai, 
and others; the latter offered to be surety for Heke’s good 
behaviour. They said, if the soldiers were sent away he 
would be peaceable, and if not, they would then make com¬ 
mon cause with the Government. The Governor agreed, 
and sent the soldiers back; they returned grumbling and 
disappointed to Sydney. At the Governor’s request, ten 
muskets were given up, and laid at his feet, who, satisfied 
with this proof of submission, returned them to their owners. 
This act of the Governor’s was found great fault with, but it 
was a very prudent one, for had he taken his little troop 
inland, it could have done nothing, but, unsupported by 
native allies, it would doubtless have been cut off by Heke’s 
ambuscades. As it was, the Governor secured valuable allies, 
who afterwards contributed to the final success of our arms. 
This peaceable state was, however, of very short duration. 
Heke again listened to the tales of men ill-affected to the 
British Government, and a second time he went and cut down 
the flagstaff. Another was erected, sheathed with iron, six 
feet high, and protected by a block house and twenty men. 
Walker remonstrated with Heke, but he insulted him, and 
proceeded in his hostile course. Many acts of plunder were 
committed on the settlers. In February, 1845, it became 
evident that another attack would be made on the flagstaff; 
the block house, therefore, was further strengthened, and 
Captain Robertson, of the Hazard, was sent to protect the 
town of Kororareka, which was menaced by a force of near 
800, under the command of Heke and Kawiti, who had joined 
him with all his men. 
Walker and several other Chiefs met Heke a day or two 
before at the Waimate, and told him, if he persisted in his 
hostile course, they should join the Governor. Heke said, he 
had heard that the snake, whose head he had cut off, had 
grown into a monster, with many mouths, and that he was 
