The story was a hoax. Some people in the country - who, like others, forgot to read the foot note of the article that explained the whole romance - lifted up planks in their flooring to hide their money and jewels, others proposed to move far inland. A school in the suburbs gave its pupils a holiday that they might go and see the Russian Frigate. While others grabbed any weapons they had, preparing to do battle with the ‘Russians’. Even though it was a hoax the editor had made his point, New Zealand was completely defenceless, against even one frigate. A columnist for the Auckland Weekly News wrote “we citizens of the various towns of New Zealand must see that our defences are put in order ... Then, the very knowledge that we are not defenceless will be a deterrent, and will cause any cruisers to avoid our shores”. Weapons were bought, but the pressure to mount them died down and they were quietly stored away. So the government did not start building defence until the 1880’s after another war scare, again Russian. This time the government reacted, the guns bought during the previous scare, although obsolete, were quickly mounted and new ones ordered.
