The Passing Of Nuku Pewapewa.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 270, 13 November 1937, Page 8 (Supplement)

The Passing Of Nuku Pewapewa.

rART vnr,

Th« next, exploit of Viiku Ppwa-I frwn. was nt t hf» Ornhi pa, near the mouth nf the Wharoam.i River, near ii.- prcont flnr.- called Castle I>(»int. I «.. mm <-f the. tril.o of Hamua, named Ifautuhi and Tohiteorurangi. were killed and a great army "of ali.nit. two thousand m°n gathered to obtain rnciinr. nr what tho Maoris railed "utu." The warriors reached the Orulii pa, hut. as it was very Urongly fortilled were forced tor-amp BfMer.il .lay*. At length a chief called ']'<■ Ililm citne out from the camp and railed ,i nallcnge to the people of the pa to combat. Te Hiha selected three hundred of his bravest, men. hi.l another chief cabled Rangihui"u'*u sclc-tc.l two hundred more, " lkl1 -' live hundred picked warriors. 'I In- p.Tty separated themselves from t '"• '.imp ,u,,| marched forward as

"lie man. hoping tha vv.iiild be accepted.

tho challenge I'h'v were not

dismayed, I'm- the chief" inside the |.n. Tutew hak.wua N'gurangi, likewise selected live hundred of his bcr-t w in :ors and formed up to meet the ch.illeii'.'ciH. A fierce battle was «.i-.:c,1. an I in the end the challenger* were beaten j.ii r I driven into the river. If it had not ben for the river they imirht. all have been killed. They escaped by swimming across, and after that Te Hiha was called

"Ili« Ilili ii in rllin i ui -tun sat a" — which ' nil".ins " 1'(. Hilm— waster of man I kind." Nov, although beaten, the army were still rifted hundred strong under tln> leadership of Xnku IVwapewa. For days they had waited f.«r a chano to strike, and the lo<wen of Te Hihrx made them nil the more anvinus to attack immediately, but Niiku said, "Kest. awhile. Ourchancc is yet to come. Wait until the nijrht mnies." They watted until the night j rniiip. and Niiku directed his men to lay amhusendes of flux on both sides of tlip truck. He sent his companies up the hill and placed them in various rli\i*»ion* in hiding on both sides of the. track lending from the, pa to the camp, which was about two miles distant. When morning broke he pent the weakest of his men—about three hundred on n prete\f of attacking the pa. When Tutewhakarua saw the hundred men approach, ing he gent out six hundred of his best men to meet them, and a skirmish took place. The three hundred pretended to retreat, and, thinking that they had an easy victory, the I*>ople In the pa rushed out, but little did they think that Nuku Pewapewa was waiting them with hi« men. It was then that Nuku attacked them from the rear and formed a ring round them. Great was the killing as the battle waged, and in the end Nuku was victorious and took the pa for his people. His fame spread further afield, and every minor chief throughout the Wairarapa held his name in awe. Soon the ;>eople in the Xorth heard of the fame of Xuku Pewapewa and sent for his help, as they were in a bad way. The I'rewera. Whaka tohea and Xgaitai people bad p Hacked the Osborne district and taken its people in bondage.

When this message reached the tribe of the Ngatikahungumi in the Hawke'K Bay and Wairarapa districts Nuku Pewapewa decided at once, to send assistance. So he and another chief, Pareihe, who lived at, Te Rotaoa-tara, travelled to (iishorne with one thousand men. and I there they attacked a strong pa on J the Waipawa River, near (iisborne. j Although the pa contained between 1 six and seven thousand men Nuku was victorious. When the news of the victory was spread about N'uku was , plagued by pleas for assistance i from other rhiefs all through I the land, and whenever possible he I helped them in battle. His exploits I were famous and I could tell you ' much more about them. But there it* so little time. Let me tell you. however, how Nuku Pewapewa died. He was drowned at «ea when a storm arose. It happened that Xuku and I I some others were in their canoe on i the way to Napier when the storm ! came up end upset the boat, j I Half dead from exposure, they man- ! aired to keep the canoe afloat by: taking turns at swimming at the j prow. When N'uku's turn came he j dived into the sea and aw am around. | Striving to bring the prow around, a ! -trong wave drove the canoe on to him and he was struck on the head I and drowned. And so died Nuku | Pewapewa, she greatest and most famous chief of all the Wairarapa. (THE END.)