STORIES OF THE PENINSULA.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 665, 28 November 1882, Page 2

STORIES OF THE PENINSULA.

No. 29.—Maori History of Banks Peninsula. (Contributed by the Rev. J. W Stack)

There ia good reason to believe that Banks Peninsula has been occupied by the Maori for a period of four hundred years, though the existing historical traditions of the people only reach back for half that period. The absence of the earlier traditions is, however, easily accounted for by the fact, that two successive wars of conquest swept over the entire South Island after it was first peopled, the conquering tribe in each case being careful to obliterate as far as possible all traces of the former inhabitants, in order to render its own title to possession more secure.

The Waitaha, who were the first Maori inhabitants of the South Island, came originally from Hawaiki to Maketu, in the canoe Arawa. They gradually made their way to the South Island, where they multiplied so rapidly that they are spoken of as " having covered the face of the land like myriads of ants."

The Waitaha were conquered and distroyed somewhere about the year 1577 by the Ngatimamoe, a tribe from the East Coast of the North Island, whose ancestors came to Poverty Bay from Hawaiki in the canoe Tokomaru. The Ngatimamoe did not long enjoy the fruits of their triumph. In little more than a hundred years they were despoiled by Ngai Tahu, also an East Coast tribe, and were by them subjected to the same cruel process of extermination by which they had secured their own conquest of Waitaha.

Before entering on the narrative of Ngai Tahu'e doings on Banks Peninsula, it may be interesting to relate what the Maoris say about one monument of the former inhabitants that still remains, known as the PA OF NGA-TOKO-ONO. (The pa of the Six,) Between Fisherman's Bay and Paua Bay, on the edge of a bold clifT, may still be seen the remains of the most ancient Maori pa in this locality. The date of its occupation can only be .1 matter of conjecture, but if it belonged to the Ngati inamoe, as generally ieported, it must be from three to four hundred years old. When Ngiii Tahu first arrived the pa was in much the same condition that it is now, nothing but the earthworks remained to mark where it once stood. In answer to their irquiries respecting its origin, they were told that it was the pa of Nga-toko-ono. That the tradition was, that six chiefs once dwelt there, who went out one day in their canoes to fish, about a mile from the coast, and were blown out to sea by a violent north-west wind, and were never heard of again.

Some light has lately been thrown upon the fate of these men by the Chatham islanders, who say that their ancestors arrived at Wharekaori after being blown off the coast of their own land. They also speak of Rome of their ancestors coming from the foot of Te-ahu-patiki (Mount and that the reason for their le. ving was owing to the defeat and death of their chief Tira, who was killed while endeavoring to punish his daughter's husband, who had been guilty of adultery. On reaching Wharekauri, they were kindly received by Marupo, the chief of a Maori speaking race. By the advice of their hosts, the new arrivals resolved to give up fighting and cannibalism. The Maori refugees carried kumera seeds with them, but on planting them they died, so they returned to New Zealand for a further supply. The question naturally arises, how did Tira's people know of the existence of Wharekauri ? It seems highly probable that after discoveririg the islands, Nga-toko-ono or some of them returned to inform their friends, who gladly availed themselves of a safe refuge from the relentless Ngai Tahu, whose successes in the northern part of tlie island were beginning to cause them anxiety regarding their future safety. Not far from the pa of Nga-toko-ono may be eeen the remains of another pa, known as PARAKAKARIKI. The pa was situated at the end of one of the spurs on the south side of Long Bay, where the outline of it is still marked by the remains of the protective earthworks. It was an important stronghold of the Ngatimamoe, and wus captured and destroyed by Mold, who, in the canoe Makawhui, coasted round the Peninsula, and completely subdued all the Ngatimamoe inhabitants. It was the report carried by Kaiapu and TeMakino to Mold, who then resided at Ote Kaue, near the mouth of the Wairau river, that led him to undertake the expedition against the Peninsula.

These two men h.ul accompanied Waitai on his voyage from Wai ran to Otakou, when that chief offended "y Maru's determination to spare tho Nirutimamoe, seceded from tho Tahu confederacy. While coasting down towwurf tiie souih, thi'.y took no'.iue oi: the vhsc extent ot : the •Vain.-!, from tiie coast to the »n:>\vy i-iugL'rf; n.nd tl'-.y obsnrvci and marked as they itass'.>d tho p.iailioa of all tiio Xg-uiiiLiinoii' pa.-i. W-jicai. Uniched ac Ivjukouraratu (Fort Levy) and Hikuraki.

At llio latter place he learnt that their old enemy Tutekaua was living nut far off at Waikakahi.

After reaching Murihiku, Te Makino and his companion were seized with a longing desire to avenge the death of a near female relative, and in order to accomplish this purpose, they resolved to risk the journey overland to Wairau. As they travelled over the plains they remarked the thick growth of cabbage palms, so valuable for the favorite kauru food, the abundance of wekae and rats, and how folly stocked the streams and lakes were with eels, lampreys, and silveries, and how Waihora swarmed wiih flat fish. They passed safely through the hostile country and reached the outskirts of Ote Kiue, when they made inquiries for Moki's house, that chief being married to their Bister Marewa. They were told that they could not mistake it, as it was the loftiest building in the pa, with the widest large boards to the porch. They did not enter the pa till every one had retired to rest, when they made their way to the house indicated, and sat down under the shadow of the break wind near the porch, where they waited till some one should come out. About midnight their sister came out, and after sitting a few moments in the yard rose to return to the house, when they pulled out a parcel of tara mea (scent), and opened it to attract her notice by its fragrance. She no sooner perceived the fragrant odour than she approached the spot where the two men were feeling their way along the break wind. Aβ soon as she reached them they caught hold of her, and she began to cry out for help, but they stopped her telling her not to fear as they were her brothers who had just returned. She re-entered the house and awoke Moki,saying, here are the eons of Pokaiwaho, your brothers-in-law, have arrived, and are waiting outside the door. Moki told her to bring them in, and to prepare some food for them al once, and then to wait till the morning before making their arrival known to the pa. Accordingly the woman waited till morning, when she went to give information to the other chiefs of her brothers arrival.

Te Rangiwhakaputa was the first to come in and welcome them. He asked them whether they saw any good country in the south. They said they had. " What food is procurable there ? " he asked. " Fern root," they replied, "is one food, kauru is another, wekas and rats and eels abound." He then retired, and Mango took his place, and asked " Did you see any good country in your travels ? " " Yes," they replied. " Okiri (Little Eiver), that is a stream, we saw, and Wairewa was the lake." " And what food can be got there?" he asked. "Fern root," they said," is one food, but there ia more wekas and kaka and kereru and eels." Mango replied, " Inland is a pillow for my head, on the coast are my feet." Te Bua hiki-hiki, son of Manaua, was the next, to enter and interrogate them. He, too, asked, " Have you seen any land." They replied, " We saw Kaitoreti, a plain, and Waihora, a lake." " What food can be got there, ? " her asked. '■ Eels," they said " abound there, and patiki, and ducks, and putangitangi are food to be got there." "That shall be my possession," said Te Rtia hiki hiki.

But there was a farther and still more powerful incentive than the acquisition of a rich food producing district to induce Ngai Tahu to undertake an expedition to the South, and that was, the thirst for vengeance. No sooner did Mold learn from the return of the travellers that Tv Tekawa was still living ,at Waikakahi, than he gave immediate orders to prepare the great war canoe Te Makawhui ior sea. This canoe was made out of an enormous totara tree, that grew in the Wairarapa valley, the stump of which was shewn until quite lately by the old Maories there. On the completion of the conquest of Ngatimamoe, the canoe was drawn up at Omihi, where it was subsequently buried by a landslip, the projecting bow only being left exposed. It was regarded as a sacred treasure under the immediate guardianship of Atua,and one man who presumed to chip a piece off as a memento, paid the penalty of his sacrilegious rashness by dying immediately afterwards. (To be continued.)