With the arrival of European whaling and trading ships in the Bay of Islands, the northern tribes of Ngapuhi and their rivals the Ngati Whatua were able to trade from about 1814 on, using flax, potatoes, fruit and pigs to obtain muskets. This led to deadly wars between the two neighbouring enemy tribes. Soon other tribes saw the necessity of obtaining muskets, and it was not long before all northern tribes were armed.

Between 1820 and 1835 the inter tribal "musket wars" led to a large scale redistribution of the Māori population.

McDonald, James Ingram, 1865-1935 : Alarm in a Māori pa 1906

Several whare and pataka can be seen inside the pa, and groups of people are rushing about and gesturing towards the water below in the distance.

However, on the route back to New Zealand Hongi stopped off in Sydney (around mid 1821), and promptly exchanged King George's gifts for muskets and ammunition.

On arrival back in New Zealand with his "converted" gifts, Hongi was able to lead a number of successful raids against rival tribes, and in particular avenge previous grievances against the Ngati Whatua. Hongi continued his war party along the east coast and then into central North Island.

In 1821 he attacked the Ngati Maru tribe from the Thames area. He continued by attacking the Ngati Paoa tribe from Auckland. A particularly violent battle was fought in 1822, when Hongi attacked the Waikato tribe, headed by Te Wherowhero, who was to be the future Māori King. The following year, Hongi attacked the Arawa tribe in Rotorua, and in the battle of Te Ika-a-ranga-nui in 1825 he achieved "utu" (revenge) over his defeat in 1807 at the hands of the Ngati Whatua from the Kaipara and Tamaki areas.

The many desperate tribes without the much-needed muskets to defend themselves soon found a way of obtaining these weapons. The European traders were more than willing to trade muskets for embalmed tattooed heads.

In war, the Māori custom was to take the heads of their victims, embalm and preserve them, and then present the heads to the family of the killed warrior. Because of the lucrative trade in dried heads, with muskets as the end goal, Māori warriors began leading skirmishes against other tribes uniquely to gain heads for ammunition. Muskets were always available, but heads began to run short, and soon the Māori found himself unable to continue supplying dried heads as previously.

News of the head for musket trade reached Britain, and caused an outcry. As New Zealand was not yet a colony the British were unable to do much to stop this trade. They were, however, able to pass a law against the trading of heads to Australia in 1831, and after this date head trading dwindled rapidly.

Hongi Hika died in 1828, following a bullet wound incurred during a battle in the Hokianga area.

[1] The source used concerning the origin of the name Hongi Hika may not be totally exact.