In July 1868 Te Kooti and his party were attacked for the
first time by a government force at Pāparatū, south of
Gisborne. Te Kooti’s men won this battle, putting the enemy
to flight and gaining valuable property from their abandoned
camp.
But they had not wanted to fight; Te Kooti is reminding his
audience that it was the government officials who had
started the war.
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