“These were his words: ‘It is true, friends, we cannot defend the kainga against the soldiers, nor can we withstand the fire of their big guns, but it is also necessary for the sake of our honour to remain in the kainga and fire one volley. Come, let us do this. We can cut much raupo and fern, and tie it to the fence so as to make it look solid and big. The ground is soft. We will dig trenches and pits in which we can hide from the fire of the big guns, and on that small hill we will erect a high flagstaff. Perchance the men who fire the big guns will mistake it for the pah, as may also the Ngati Jacks on the ships, and by firing at it instead of at the kainga we shall escape the anger of the big guns. Should this plan succeed enough of us may remain alive to fire a volley at the taua and so save the honour of all concerned.’ “We saw his words were very good so we acted on them, and by working hard all night we completed our preparations. Next day (29th April 1864) our scouts came in with the information that the soldiers were marching out of Tauranga to attack us, and that the ships were coming up the bay, so at once we ran and concealed ourselves in the pits and trenches we had dug. “Presently we saw the soldiers arrive on the high ground and in a short time their big guns began to fire, when to our joy we at once saw that misled by the flagstaff and flag they were aiming at the hill on which it was erected some hundred fathoms away from the kainga. At this our hearts grew light, for the noise of the big guns, especially those belonging to the ships, sounded like thunder, while the hill on which the flagstaff stood was shrouded in flame and smoke, and groaned with the bursting of the big power-filled balls which, had they been directed at us, must have quickly destroyed every man, so we thanked Wai Mati for his crafty foresight. For a long time the big guns thundered in their wrath while we lay hidden in our trenches, then they ceased, and Wai Mati, peeping out, called to us: ‘Arise, children, the taua is advancing, line the fence and when I give the word fire one volley, then break and retreat through the swamp to Te Ranga.’ “We obeyed his order and when we had lined the fence we also peeped through it and saw a long line of soldiers with a line of Ngati Jacks in rear of them advancing to the attack. When they had reached within twenty fathoms Wai Mati gave the word and our fire darted out through the fence to meet them, then waiting no longer we ran to the rear of the kainga and broke through the back fence meaning to disperse in the raupo swamp, and each man make his way as best he might to Te Ranga.