▁work ▁among ▁the ▁conv ict s . ▁Short ly ▁after ▁his ▁arrival ▁in ▁ 1 8 2 3 , ▁however , ▁he ▁was ▁persu aded ▁to ▁offer ▁his ▁services ▁to ▁the ▁New ▁Zealand ▁Mission ▁instead . ▁He ▁arrived ▁in ▁P ai h ia , ▁New ▁Zealand , ▁on ▁ 3 ▁August ▁ 1 8 2 3 , ▁and ▁proceeded ▁to ▁begin ▁his ▁mission ▁at ▁Wes ley dale , ▁the ▁Wes ley an ▁mission ▁at ▁K ae o . ▁ ▁Hob bs ' ▁ability ▁to ▁communicate ▁with ▁the ▁M ā ori ▁people ▁in ▁their ▁tongue ▁made ▁him ▁popular ▁amongst ▁the ▁M ā ori ▁population ▁and ▁became ▁" uno fficial ▁coun s ell or ▁to ▁several ▁influ ential ▁chief s ". ▁Even ▁with ▁Hob bs ' ▁help , ▁the ▁Ng ati ▁P ou ▁chief ▁of ▁Wh ang aro a , ▁Te ▁Ara ▁( Ge orge ), ▁found ▁it ▁difficult ▁to ▁protect ▁the ▁mission ▁in ▁Wes ley dale . ▁After ▁Te ▁Ara ' s ▁death ▁in ▁ 1 8 2 7 , ▁the ▁mission aries ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁were ▁forced ▁to ▁fle e ▁to ▁the ▁Bay ▁of ▁Islands ▁after ▁host ile ▁n atives ▁attacked ▁the ▁station . ▁Hob bs ▁returned ▁to ▁Sydney , ▁Australia , ▁and ▁was ▁ord ained . ▁ ▁Wes ley an ▁authorities ▁in ▁Sydney ▁were ▁unw illing ▁to ▁abandon ▁their ▁mission ary ▁efforts ▁in ▁New ▁Zealand , ▁and ▁established ▁a ▁new ▁mission ▁in ▁the ▁H oki anga ▁district ▁where ▁th riv ing ▁European ▁business es ▁already ▁existed . ▁They ▁placed ▁Hob bs ▁in