Contents.
| Chapter I.—The Old Race and the New. | Page |
| New Zealand's pioneering story. Likeness to North American frontier history—The contact between pakeha and Maori—Test of battle arouses mutual respect—The romance and adventure of New Zealand history—The native-born and the patriotism of the soil—Difficulties of the bush campaigns—Military qualities of the Maori underestimated by early British commanders—Maori population in the "forties" | 1 |
| Chapter II.—The Beach at Kororareka. | |
| A bay of adventure—The old landmarks—The whaleships of the "forties"—Scenes on Kororareka Beach—The whalemen and the Maoris—The old trading-stores—Aboard a New Bedford whaling-barque—The days of oil and bone | 6 |
| Chapter III.—Here and the Flagstaff. | |
| "God made this country for us"—Hone Heke's character—His fears for the future of his race—Early traffic with the whaleships—British Customs dues cause a decrease in Bay of Islands trade—Heke's raid on Kororareka—The Maiki flagstaff cut down—Governor Fitzroy meets the Maoris—Heke and the American flag—Troops sent to the bay—The flagstaff cut down again | 13 |
| Chapter IV.—The Fall of Kororareka. | |
| Heke's ambush on Signal Hill—An attack at dawn—The flagstaff cut down a fourth time—Kawiti attacks the town—Encounter with a naval force—Captain Robertson's heroic fight—Sailors, soldiers, and settlers defend the town—Gallant work of Hector's gunners—The beach stockade blown up—A mismanaged defence—Evacuation of Kororareka | 23 |
| Chapter V.—The First British March Inland. | |
| Operations against the Ngapuhi—Pomare's village destroyed—The friendly Maori tribes—Tamati Waka Nene's loyalty to the British—Pene Taui, and the consequences of a pun—Lieut.-Colonel Hulme's march inland | 32 |
| Chapter VI.—The Fighting at Omapere. | |
| The Taiamai country and the plains of Omapere—Skirmishies between Heke's warriors and Tamati Waka's force—White free-lances in the fray—John Webster and F. E. Maning—Jackey Marmon, the white cannibal—Heke's stockade at Puketutu—British attack on the pa—Kawiti's desperate courage—Heavy skirmishing and bayonet fighting—British withdraw to the Bay of Islands—The Kapotai pa destroyed | 37 |
