“KA MATE!”

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 21 September 1925, Page 7

“KA MATE!”

STORY OF A Hi AKA

HCAY IT DEVELOPED

TE RAUPARAHA. INCIDENT

An interesting story ol the oiigin ot the notv famous haika, “Ka- mate) ka mate,” was the subject of a paper recently delivered by Mr. Rotohiko Jones at the Suvtage Uluib. “The" words of the ‘Ka mate! ka mate!’’ liaka originated from that notorious fighting warrior, Te Uuaparaha, and for the ‘benefit of those who have not heard of this fiery and bloodthirsty warrior, L will give a brief outline of his life,” he wrote as follows: “Te Rauparaha. belonged to Ngatit-ea, who occupied the country iunmediiuely surrounding the shores of the Kawhia harbour. Te Rampant ha. claimed to he a direct descendant of Hoturaa, captain of the Tainui canoe of* the fleet of 1350. He was the son of AVerawera, who, during one of the inter-tribal wans with Waikato, was captured, killed, and eaten. Te Rauparaha wots then a more child, 'and the grim old warrior, who had made a meal of his father was heard to remark 'that, if ever the youngster fell into his bands, ho would certainly meet a similar fate, as he would make a delicious relish for so great a warrior’s rauparaha. Rauparaha >i« the leaf of a climbing plant, which grew on the isaud Junes, cud was used as an article of food. Such a. tragic association of the child with anything that could be used as food was never forgotten by his tribe, and it was front this circumstance that lie derived his name —Te Riaupanalm. “Te Rauparaha was born about 1770. Ais he became a man, his one thought was to make war with Waikato, in revenge for what had been done to his father, and for the curse which hung over his head. From their _ many skirmishes Ramparaha and his Ngatitoa seemed to emerge generally with success. Rut the gloom of impending disaster wan gathering around him v. hen the powerful and warlike Nga.tiinaniiapoto became allied with Waikato. This, and the fact that his warriors were diminishing last ©wing to the frequent i liter-tribal wars, made He Raupara bias's position untenable. “Sorely pressed, he sought a tmee, which was granted, though all concerned knew that it was only to be temporary. O'n the cessation of hostilities, Rauparaha journeyed to the Arawa tribe in the Rotorua district, and with all the eloquence at bis command endeavoured to persuade them to join forces with him. ‘Now is the time to avenge the wrong.s indicted on us by Warikato. Join with me and we will mh.ke them our slaves,’ he urged, but to no purpose. The Arawa-s were too exhausted 'by their recent crushing defeats at the hand's of. Nga-Puhi and AY'aikato, and required time to recuperate. To Rauparaha then hurried to Xgatiituwharetoa of the Taupe district. They, however, had just been associated with Ngatimaniapoto in a successful raid on the Hast Coast, and were planning for another combined campaign. They’ were loth to identify themselves with Te Riauparaba. A. polite refusal would probably have been the only answer to hits request had Te Rauparaha not made an indiscreet remark. Angry words were heard on all sides. Te Rauparaha heartily .regretted his in discretion, but the harm had been done, and at the first opportunity lie fled from, the hostile pa. The site of this pa is about two miles above the place, beloved of all fishermen, on the Tongariro River. “Te Rauparaha’ts party was $0 badly di-sorganiised that he Was absolutely left to fight or fly for his life, and any reader, who has been to Tokaanu. via AVaimarino, will remember Lake Rtoto Aira, a small lake to the south of Lake Taupo. It w)as along the shores of this lake that this diistinguished general fled for his life, with the Ngati.tuwhargtoa warriors in hot pursuit. One can readily imagine what would be going through his mind as he scrambled through undergrowth, which grew thickly to the very shores of the lake. ‘Ka mate! ka mlaite!’ the first four words of the war civ, which, being interpreted, mean ‘.I will die! 1 will die!’ Ranting like a doer at. bay, he suddenly came to a small plantation, and, •seeing a lady, he pleaded with her to hide him from his; pursuers. The liady consented to hide him m a hole where she kept he" kuiuara. A\ lien the Xgatituwharetoa warriors came upon the scene the lady wa.s unconcernedly bre3aking the shoots off the kuiuara and throwing them into the hole. The wa.iriois asked her whether she had seen anyone, and. on her replying in the negative, they passed on. Feeling, somewhat relieved, this thought passed through Rauparaha s niiind, ‘Ka ora! ka. ona !' which, being interpreted, means T will live! I will lire!’ But while lie was emerging front his hiding-place lie was confronted by a new danger the husband- of the lady. ‘Kja mate! ka mate!’ again flashed through his mind, and while he stood ihere he noticed just a. flight relaxation in the features of the man. which gave him fresh hopes. ‘Ka ora ! ka ora.! T wil Hive! 1 will live!’ and with liis usual cunning he saw that a little flattery would go a long way to effect an amicable settlement with this burly gentleman. ‘Tenei te tangata puhui'uhuru liana i tiki mai. whakawh'iti te ra.’ ‘This is the man with the hairy face who maketih the sun to shine.’ ft wa«s quite (apparent to the mind of this man that was likened, to Maui, that demi-god of Maori mythology who fished ui> the North Island of New'Zealand and lassoed the sun and would not let it go until it- promised to go si owl v across the sky. thus giving" u*s the longer days, for which we are most thankful. “The man smiled his approval, of the honour thus thrust upon him, which led Te Rauparaba to exclaim ‘Upane kaupane! upane kaupane! whiti te ra!’ which, while being a jubilant exclamation, also expresses the act of climbing up steps, ‘upane’ meiuiing ‘to take one step upward.’ ‘kaupane’ ‘to leave on step behind.’ ‘AYhitite va’ which means ‘the sun shinetli’ is also a jubilant exclamation expressing liis joy at having escaped the wna.th of the hairy-faced man. and being able again to enjoy life and the bright sunshine. “Te .Rauparaha, after having ' profusely thanked him saviour for bis hospitality, turned for home, 'and from the directions' given he Iliad very little difficulty in finding hits way back to h'.* tribe. . , . “Disheartened by the result ol ms mission, knowing that sooner or late.r "Waikato and Ngatimaniapoto would learn of Ids' joflrnev to Rotorua and Taupo, land seeing that he was in a hopeless position, he hurriedly got his people together and told them that he had decided that they should migrate to the south, where they would have no diffierfftv in dispossessing the less warlike southern tribes of their lands. “Te 'Rauparaba had at this time procured a fori* muskets from traders .and fijomi the Ngapuhi, tribe, land with

these formidable weapons he journeyed through Taranaki and YY r anganui districts, mooting with very little resistance. On arriving in the Manawatu district he again started litis fighting exp editions. It wais Rauparaha and Rangihaeata, his nephew, who were the leaders of the natives in the AVairau massacre, in tlie Nelson district, in which Oaptain AVakefield and others were killed. From what 1. have heard and read of this incident I venture to say that the pakehas were as much to be blamed, as the Maoris. “Te Rauparaha spent the latter part of his life ,in and around the Otaki district. and also on the island of Kap iti - . “Surfi, then, was the man who. in or about the year of Bonaparte’s death began’ to play the Napoleonic ~ole in New Zealand, which earned h.im the title of “Tlie Napoleon of the South Seas.’’