[4] In the peace settlement at the end of the Girls' War, Kororāreka (today known as Russell) was ceded to Tītore by Pōmare II as compensation for Hengi's death, which was accepted by those engaged in the fighting.
[5] However, the duty of seeking revenge had passed to Mango and Kakaha, the sons of Hengi; they took the view that the death of their father should be acknowledged through a muru,[6] or war expedition, against tribes to the south.
[7][8][9] The Revd Henry Williams accompanied the first expedition, without necessarily believing that he could end the fighting, but with the intention of continuing to persuade the combatants as to the Christian message of peace and goodwill.
The Ngāpuhi warriors, who included Hōne Heke, were successful in battles on the Mercury Islands and at Tauranga, with the muru continuing until late July 1832.
Sadler of HMS Buffalo received gifts from Tītore for delivery to the King, which included two mere made of pounamu (which is a symbol of chieftainship).
In the process of signing, the chiefs established themselves as representing a confederation under the title of the "United Tribes of New Zealand".
[22] An underlying cause of the fighting was a dispute as to the boundary line of the Kororāreka block that had been surrendered as a consequence of the death of Hengi some seven years previously in the Girls’ War.