The war was struggling to its close. The Maoris writhed in the toils of the troops like Laocoon and his sons in the folds of the serpents. They never had the smallest chance. More than seventeen years had passed since Grey had informed the Colonial Office of the comparative increasing strength of the colonists and the increasing unlikelihood of a successful rising on the part of the Maoris. They had risen, but they had been everywhere defeated. Their brave fight and flight at Orakau— the fight and the flight of the lion—were considered to be their last stand. After the capture of Wereroa the war was held to be virtually at an end. The campaign in the Waikato was deemed to be brought to an end by the Maoris' evacuation of Maungatautari in April, 1864, and leading chiefs—the indomitable Rewi, the Christian Waharoa, and others desired that the war should be considered as being at an end. In anticipation of its ending, on September 2, 1865, the Governor gratified the confiscationists by annexing large blocks of specified lands belonging to the Ngatiawa and Ngatiuranui tribes, which were to be duly set apart as eligible sites for colonisation. Yet, in a proclamation declaring the war page break page 157at an end, the Governor stated that he would respect the lands of all the loyalists and restore those that had been taken from them, while commissioners would be sent to place them in possession. We read with profound regret that these and other repeated promises remained unful-filled. Awards solemnly made in the new Native land courts were never carried into effect.