I read Badass of the Week interpretation of Hongi Hika's life by Ben Thompson. He is a funny guy. He was very vivid on the gruesome parts of their battles and their lives and their choices of eating. He did it in three sections; when James Cook arrived, the trading and Hongi's musket wars.
When James Cook arrived some "pimped out war canoes" rocked up with "severed heads". He must of thought "shit!", oh my God I'm going to die. He would be thinking these people were ruthless killers. I am surprised him or any of his crew members didn't shoot them. He must of thought the Maori had valuable things on the island or he must have thought he could of made money off them. Cook must have kept a cool head and a gun close by.
Hongi Hika was wise in military tactics and trading with Europeans. He was a really good fighter. I think he must been clever because when his chief died he took the rest of his army and hid them and because of that he became chief. He also swapped the heads of fallen rivals heads for muskets and bullets. He also went to England and got heaps of gifts from the King and then he swapped them for guns and bullets in Australia. I think he would have been quite intelligent, very dedicated in his beliefs and what he thought right and wrong is.
The musket wars raged through New Zealand and death followed everywhere Hongi Hika went. He was ruthless
