It was in this month of April, about 190 years ago, that Māori first faced the power of the British military.  On the 29th April, 1834, the Harriet was enroute to Sydney when it was wrecked off Cape Egmont, Taranaki. All the crew and passenger got ashore safely, only to encounter local Māori. There was fighting and loss of life, with the shipwreck party detained as hostages at Moturoa.

A plan was put in place for their release in return for muskets and gunpowder, but the governing authorities in Sydney over-rode this, sending the HMS Alligator with a military force to recover the hostages. The upshot was a brutal bombardment and assault on Māori, with much loss of life, broken promises, and an outcry in the British House of Commons.

All this was observed by William Marshall, surgeon on the Alligator, and included in his account of his visits to New Zealand, published in 1836. This is one of New Zealand’s earliest books, and is an historic account of the early days of the colony.

We have a very good copy for sale.

Unusually for its time, Marshall wanted proceeds from sales of his book to be given to the Church Missionary Society for use in their mission in Taranaki, to help Māori who had suffered in the altercation.