On the “Elphinstone” he had devoted his hours to the study of Maori, following his principle, ’You cannot govern a race to the best advantage unless you are able to communicate with them in their own language.  They will receive you more intimately if you thus meet them; they will tell you things which they would not care to confide to an interpreter.  Moreover, to know the language of a people is a great assistance to the entire understanding of them, their needs and characteristics.  My Maori helped me enormously, and the language, with its rich folk-lore and tradition, fascinated me as I grew in knowledge of it.’

The main stronghold of Heke and Kawiti was a pa designated, in Maori, Ruapekapeka, of which the English equivalent is ‘Bat’s Nest.’  Here the Maoris were in martial clover, having reasoned with themselves:  ’We’ll build a pa the Pakehas can’t take, if we are behind its walls.  We await them in this place, and if they want us, just let them come on.’  That was Sir George Grey’s summary of the resistance which the English forces, moving to invest Ruapekapeka, had to meet.  Fortune smiled, and exacted little as return sacrifice.

‘Our force,’ he narrated, ’was strengthened by a detachment of friendly Maoris under the command of Waka Nene, a grizzled warrior.  He was my chief adviser among the Maoris, and his services were of the utmost value to me.  Waka Nene recognised the necessity, in New Zealand, of a government which could control both races.  The former mistake, of trying to storm a well-defended pa, was replaced at Ruapekapeka by an artillery bombardment.  Having made myself familiar with the method of warfare pursued by the Maoris, I decided this to be our line of tactics.  They could use their Tower muskets with effect, but of artillery they had none, except a few old ship’s guns, which they would have been better without.

’We had pounded the “Bat’s-Nest” heavily, when, on a Sunday, Waka Nene’s brother, Wi Waka, made out, from our front, that it seemed to be more or less empty.  The Maoris had gone to a sheltered spot to celebrate divine service, thinking perhaps that Sunday was not a battle day with us.  They relied upon our observing Sunday for praise and rest, unaware that Christian nations have done much of their hardest fighting on that day.  Immediately we learned of Wi Waka’s discovery, our men advanced into the pa.  Rushing back to occupy it, at the alarm, the Maoris met us already in possession.  They endeavoured, with vigour and gallantry, to drive us out, but could not, and the whole affair was over in a quarter of an hour.

’Wi Waka sustained a severe wound in the encounter, being shot through the ribs, on the left side.  Hearing of this, I ran to him, and he asked me would he die of the wound or not?  I replied that I could not tell, that possibly it might not be a fatal wound, but on the other hand it might be.  When I had spoken he took my hand and said, “Have I done my duty to-day?  Say!”