TAKURUA, a chief of Ngati-Maru, lived in 1825 at the Thames, not far from Waharoa's place at Matamata. His sons, aged about 20, were taken to sea by Captain P. Dillon in the St Patrick (1826) and well treated on the voyage to Calcutta. At Barrackpore they were presented to Lord Combermere and the elder (who was called 'Brian Boru') received a captain's uniform and sword. They returned to New Zealand in the H.E.I.C.S. Research, and could not be landed at Bay of Islands owing to the hostility of the local tribes or at Coromandel owing to adverse weather, but on the return of the Research to New Zealand they reached their home with many guns. A few days later Brian Boru was killed in an attack by Hongi. Takurua had agreed to live at peace with Waharoa, but the latter's people attacked and killed him during Waharoa's absence at Tauranga. Takurua's people then abandoned their pa at Matamata.

S. P. Smith; Dillon; Bayly.

Reference: Volume 2, page 183

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