Not at first--but later.

At first they welcomed the whites, and were eager to trade with them--particularly for muskets; for their pastime was internecine war, and they greatly preferred the white man's weapons to their own.

War was their pastime--I use the word advisedly.
They often met and slaughtered each other just for a lark, and when there was no quarrel.

The author of "Old New Zealand" mentions a case where a victorious army could have followed up its advantage and exterminated the opposing army, but declined to do it; explaining naively that "if we did that, there couldn't be any more fighting." In another battle one army sent word that it was out of ammunition, and would be obliged to stop unless the opposing army would send some.

It was sent, and the fight went on.
In the early days things went well enough.