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The Maori War

           ButtounderstandandappreciatethecriticalpositionintowhichtheseMacquariepassengerswerethrown,somethingoughttobeknownofthehistoryofthestrugglewhichhaddelugedtheislandofIka-na-Maniwithblood.

           SincethearrivalofAbelTasmaninCook’sStrait,onthe16thofDecember,1642,thoughtheNewZealandershadoftenbeenvisitedbyEuropeanvessels,theyhadmaintainedtheirlibertyintheirseveralislands.NoEuropeanpowerhadthoughtoftakingpossessionofthisarchipelago,whichcommandsthewholePacificOcean.ThemissionariesstationedatvariouspointswerethesolechannelsofChristiancivilization.Someofthem,especiallytheAnglicans,preparedthemindsoftheNewZealandchiefsforsubmittingtotheEnglishyoke.Itwascleverlymanaged,andthesechiefswereinfluencedtosignaletteraddressedtoQueenVictoriatoaskherprotection.Butthemostclearsightedofthemsawthefollyofthisstep;andoneofthem,afterhavingaffixedhistattoo-marktotheletterbywayofsignature,utteredthesepropheticwords:"Wehavelostourcountry!henceforthitisnotours;soonthestrangerwillcomeandtakeit,andweshallbehisslaves."

           Andsoitwas;onJanuary29,1840,theEnglishcorvetteHERALDarrivedtoclaimpossession.

           Fromtheyear1840,tillthedaytheDuncanlefttheClyde,nothinghadhappenedherethatPaganeldidnotknowandhewasreadytoimparthisinformationtohiscompanions.

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