During the 1700s and early 1800s, the native village at Kaiapoi in New Zealand’s South Island was the centre for Ngai Tahu’s trade in pounamu, the greenstone which they carried over from the West Coast. Surrounded by wetlands on three sides, it was considered safe until 1832, when it was raided and destroyed by the Ngati Toa under the leadership of Te Rauparaha. The author, the Reverend James West Stack, no doubt gained information for this book from his friend, the son of Te Rauparaha, and from survivors of the siege itself when he worked among the Ngai Tahu as a missionary in the 1860s. He also recounts some of the events before and after the siege to provide an overview of life in New Zealand before the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. First published in 1893, this edition has been reset for the modern reader and illustrated with a relevant selection of images. Includes a biography on the author, and a brief history of the main characters' lives after the siege.