In the earliest days of settlement in Poverty Bay and the East Coast, church services were few and far between. Unconsciously the whalers occasioned the visit of the first missionary. It seems that one of their number transported some Ngatiporou Natives to the Bay of Islands and they were in danger amongst their old enemies in the North. This outrage moved the Rev. W. Williams, afterwards the first Bishop of Waiapu, who was then stationed in the Bay of Islands to intervene on their behalf. If the Ngapuhi had had their way, they would have kept the Ngatiporou as slaves. But Mr. Williams secured their release and, chartering the schooner “Fortitude,” sailed with them to Hick's Bay. Landing there on January 8, 1834, he proceeded to Waiapu, and returned them to their hapu. On this errand of mercy, Mr. Williams was so well received that he, later, suggested the establishment of a mission station in that district. The Waiapu, he reported, surpassed any other place he had seen for such a purpose. Meantime one of the Natives he had taken back to the Waiapu—one Taumatakura—with much zeal taught his people all he had learned about the Christian religion. But he was a warrior as well as a missioner and the story is told of him leading an attack on a pa at Cape Runaway with a musket in one hand and a Testament in the other. In October 1836, Mr. Willims brought six Native teachers to the East Coast to help Taumatakura in his voluntary missionary work. The year following both the Rev. W. Williams and the Rev. Mr. Taylor came south and were again much impressed with the progress that had been made. In December 1839, Mr. Williams with his family removed to Poverty Bay and here established a permanent mission station.