In 1845, John Webster and his friend, F. E. Maning, from Onoke, Hokianga, and another white freelance from Hokianga, William Munro. joined Tamati Waka's force, which took the field against Hone Heke in the Bay of Islands war. There was much skirmishing around Lake Omapere and the neighbouring hills. Webster was armed with a rifle and a supply of 200 cartridges when he entered joyfully into the guerilla warfare. He described to me the chivalrous game of war as he witnessed and shared in it there.