Te Rauparaha was a Ngati Toa chief and warrior. Sometimes called the 'Napoleon of the Southern Hemisphere', he ruled the lower end of the North Island from his base at Kapiti Island for the best part of 20 years
On the evening of 18 December Abel Tasman and his men had the first known European encounter with Māori. Although this initial meeting was peaceful, misunderstanding and fear soon led to violence.
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