fairly regular visitors to that harbour. Accordingly, the Ngāti Toa attack must be directed at Takapūneke. Only a surprise attack could succeed, but the march of a war party across North Canterbury or the approach of a large fleet of canoes would make surprise impossible. So Te Rauparaha decided to use a European ship for his raid, knowing that the Takapūneke Māori would not suspect such a vessel of carrying a war party, and would welcome it as a trader. His first approach was to Captain Briggs of the Hobart ship Dragon, but Briggs rejected the proposal. Te Rauparaha then offered Captain John Stewart of the brig Elizabeth, just arrived from London via Sydney, a cargo of 50 tons of flax as payment for the transportation of the war party to Akaroa. Although Briggs warned him that taking on board so large a number of Māori would give them effective control of his ship, Stewart, who was on his first voyage to New Zealand, would not be dissuaded, apparently seeing the arrangement an easy way of filling his ship with a valuable cargo. On 29 October 1830 the chiefs Te Rauparaha and Te Hiko, with a taua of 140 men, armed with muskets as well as Māori weapons, embarked on the Elizabeth at Kapiti, and sailed for Banks Peninsula. On arrival at Takapūneke the Elizabeth anchored in the bay off the Ngāi Tahu village. To prevent discovery of the real purpose of the ship's visit, Te Rauparaha's party remained below decks, and, as Tama-i-hara-nui was absent at the flax grounds at Wairewa, messages were sent to him that the captain wished to trade muskets for flax. A few days after their arrival the captain and Cowell, the trading master, went ashore to shoot pigeons. As their boat was returning to the ship they met a canoe in which were Tama-i-hara-nui, his 11-year-old daughter, and three or four other Māori. The aged chief and his daughter were taken in the captain's boat to the ship. In the ship's cabin Tama-i-hara-nui was put in irons and confronted by his enemies. During the day other canoes came out to the ship, their occupants being invited on board, and then captured and placed below decks. Among those taken in this way was Tama-i-hara-nui's wife. None escaped to give warning, and as it was customary for parties visiting European vessels to remain a considerable time