at
Wellington and Nelson, Fitzroy openly said that the magistrates were
wholly misguided in trying to arrest the native chief; and at Nelson he
rebuked all those who had been concerned in the affair. This gave great
offence to the white men. They asked if the blood of their friends and
relatives was thus to be shed and no sort of penalty to be exacted for
the slaughter. Many of the magistrates resigned, and a deep feeling of
irritation was shown towards the Governor, some of the settlers
petitioning the English Government to recall him.

In the August of 1844 a young chief named Honi Heke, who dwelt at the
Bay of Islands, on account of a private quarrel with a rough whaler,
entered the town of Kororarika with a band of armed followers. He
plundered a few shops and cut down a flagstaff on which the Union Jack
floated from a steep hill behind the town. There were then not more than
ninety soldiers in New Zealand, and when Heke threatened to burn
Kororarika, and do the same to Auckland, there was too good reason to
fear that he might be as good as his word, for he had 200 well-armed men
at his back, and a comrade of his, named Kawiti, had nearly as many. A
chief named Waka-Nene with his men kept Heke in check, while Fitzroy
sent to Sydney and received 160 soldiers with two cannon. These landed
at the Bay of Islands, but Waka-Nene begged the Governor not to hurry
into hostilities. He arranged for a friendly meeting. Fitzroy met nine
principal chiefs, who apologised and made Heke send also a written
apology. Fitzroy said he would redress some wrongs the natives said they
suffered, and having obtained from Heke ten muskets by way of fine and
having again set up the flagstaff he returned to Auckland.

But before the year was ended Heke approached the town once more with
100 armed men. He insulted it from the hills, cut down the flagstaff
again, and then withdrew to the forests. Fitzroy published a
proclamation offering L100 for his capture, and Heke replied by offering
L100 for the head of Fitzroy. The Governor now caused a new flagstaff to
be set up, all sheathed with iron at the bottom, and with a strong
wooden house attached to it, in which a score of soldiers were always to
keep guard. A block-house or small wooden fortress was set up at a
little distance down the hill towards Kororarika. Nevertheless, Heke
said he would come and cut down the flagstaff again. Then the
inhabitants of Kororarika began to drill in order to