The Elizabeth affair
- When
- November 1830
- Where
- Akaroa Harbour · Whangaroa
- Reach
- Local
A British captain hid Te Rauparaha’s war party aboard his brig to capture the Ngāi Tahu chief Te Maiharanui — a scandal that helped convince Britain it needed an official presence.
Captain John Stewart of the Elizabeth carried Ngāti Toa warriors to Akaroa in exchange for a cargo of flax, lured Te Maiharanui aboard, and handed him over. The prosecution that followed in Sydney collapsed for want of evidence. The affair was widely reported as proof that British subjects were behaving lawlessly in a country where no British law ran, and it strengthened the case in London for appointing a Resident.
Regions affected
Sources
Written for this project from these references rather than copied from them. Follow a link to check the account against the original.
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