We landed and climbed the cliff, and soon we came upon the foot tracks of a party of people leading into the forest. We followed them up rapidly into the bush south of Ruato, and we soon came upon a number of Maoris with Hori Tupaea among them. An elderly man named Tiu Tamehana ( “ Jew Thompson ” ) was with them; he was their kai-karakia (religious leader) or poropiti (prophet)). Our chief Matenga called on the party to stop, threatening to fire on them unless they stood fast. Hori and his companions thereupon came to a halt, but made no move to surrender. Instead they gathered round their prophet and chanted their Pai-marire incantations and called upon their gods to strike us blind.

Heni Te Kiri-karamu, who had been in the fighting at Gate Pa, was emphatic that “ Hori and his people were all unarmed; there was not even a stone patu among them ” although it was discovered later that one old man had secretly carried a short-handled tomahawk under his shirt. “ The prophet had ordered that no weapons should be carried on the secret expedition, and when he learned of Timoti ’ s tomahawk he declared that this breach of his instructions was the aitua which had brought misfortune on the party. ” This account also contradicts the interpretation by military and civil authorities at Tauranga that this expedition was a war party.

On 2 March 1865, the worst fears of the Europeans at Tauranga seemed to be confirmed by the murder of the missionary Volkner at Opotiki soon after the arrival of emissaries of Te Ua. The local issues leading to this murder were complex and partly connected with Maori knowledge of Volkner ’ s activities as a government spy during the wars. It can be partly understood as an expression of traditional utu. While Pai Marire people were involved, the murder can also be interpreted, in general, as a strong reaction against missionaries, and in particular, as an expression of the strong Whakatohea feeling that Volkner had deserted them for the Pakeha Governor (Clark 1975, pp. 31-41).

Meanwhile, Governor Grey offered a pardon to Tupaea, the conditions of which included his taking of the oath of allegiance, that he would “ truly and faithfully assist the Governor in putting an end to the present disturbance ” , he would reside where directed by the Governor until he received “ permission to return to his own country ” and he would “ faithfully observe the terms given by the Governor to the Tauranga Natives ” (AJHR A5, 1865, p. 12). Tupaea had told Greer after his arrest that he no longer held intentions opposed to Government, his “ fault had been expiated ” by being Brought prisoner to Te Papa, and he would “ not go inland again ” (AJHR A5, 1865, p. 11). Clarke and Greer had hoped that the arrest and submission of Tupaea would effectively dampen Pai Marire enthusiasm. In late March 1865 the newspaper The New Zealander (quoted by Clark 1975, p. 31) reported that three-quarters of the Tauranga people were adherents of Pai Marire.

Reports of activities on the East Coast and other intelligence strengthened the conviction of European authorities, civil and military, that there was an extensive Pai Marire-Kingite conspiracy in operation. Clarke reported on “ the state of the Natives ” on 18 April (AJHR E4, 1865, pp. 26-27), and commented that it was “ evident that a hostile movement is in contemplation by the Waikato and their confederates against the Arawa, which, if carried out, will inevitably involve many of Ngaiterangi Hapus ”. Te Arawa were traditional, enemies of Waikato and Tauranga people. Some of this feeling against Te Arawa is expressed in the song of derision composed by Tomika Te Mutu and other Ngaiterangi chiefs that Te Arawa had captured Hori Tupaea (Cowan 1923, vol. 2, p. 79).