IN ANCIENT MAORILAND.

Hot Lakes Chronicle, Volume 4, Issue 170, 4 March 1896, Page 3

IN ANCIENT MAORILAND.

KOTES COLLECTED FROM TIIE DESCENDA NTS OF TIIE ABORIGINAL PEOPLE OF the Raxg itaiki Valley and the Urewera Country, and from the Hataati'A Tribes. 15 v ELSDOX BEST. Given by members of the w:i. Sgati- Whare, Tuhoe, Ngati-Apa, >*.rati-Aw:i, Ngati-Hamua and Putuhealieu Tribes. ■KOIIIKOHIA XGA MAItASIAItA 0 MATAATUA." CHAPTER Vll.—(Continued.) Wars of the Mataatua and Arawa Tribes. go Tuhoe marched forth forth upon the war-path, even until they reached the Sea of Taupo. On arriving there Uhia said to his people. Listen, 0 Tuhoe! If the men of Tuwharetoa should offer to fight this day, do not consent until I have found the man I seek, then may j'ou give battle. The pjen bv which I shall know that man red cloak that he wears. If the enemy attack, do not move; wait until ! call to you, however eager you may be." Thus ended the words of Uhia. NgntiTuwharetoa advanced on Orojia* the encampment of Tuhoe (where they had entrenched themselves). For two days the Ngai-Tuhoe refused to jjirht. On the third day Uhia, the warrior priest cried, "Mowat last may you fight!" As Uhia spake these words, the man he sought was seen approaching in a canoe. Again Uhia ■called to bis tribe:—"There is my man. At last, 0 Tuhoe! may you ti«ht.' ! As the canoe reached the shore the Tuhoe rushed down and slew the man. Then they -attacked the main body of Njrati-Tuwliaretoa and defeated them on that field of battle, the name of which is Orona, and tho pa captured was Te Totara. Then the fighting ceased and the chiefs of Tuhoe said one to another Ka ea te kanolii kitea o Tai-hakoa ki roto o Ruatahuna." There was another tribe, the Waralioe, who were at war with Ngati- ! uwbaretoa. These Warahoe had been driven from Kangitaiki by Ngati Awa and the survivors fled to Taupo. These were the people who fought with the Ngati Tuwharetoa, but 'they were destroyed and the bodies of some of them were packed in baskets. This was tho reason of one of those people receiving the name of Kohi-kete. Thus ended tho intentions of Tuhoe in regard to Taupo. Then they turned to the Arawa. Tliey sought for an excuse to attack Te Arawa and found it. To iangi-ia-tukua had assisted in the raid on Ruatahuna. Enough! Lest it bo a boast of his descendants that he had •dared the Tuhoe in their mountain home! Then Tuhoe marched for the laud of the Arawa. Uhia the tohunga went as a commander of the warparty, for all had seen tho wisdom of his counsel or rather that of his atu>i, of Te Rehu-o-Tainui. Hence the aged priest was chosen as leader and even the chiefs were silent in council. So tho Ngati-Tuhoe went forth to war. They arrived at Puke-kai-kaa-liu, at Lake Rere-whakaitu. > u arriving; there Uhia stood forth and communed with his god (atua), Te Behu-o-Tainui. And the oracle spake unto Uhia saying: Ivia kalia ki to ki rakau !" That was all said by the Maori atua, Te Rehu-o-Tainu. Then Uhia explained these words to his tribe and the chiefs of Tuhoe, sa\ing. "Listen. 0 Tuhoe! The strife will be here. To-morrow at early dawn let five tens, twice told, go forth, should they not be pursued, it will be well. Should they be pursued that a 1 so is well. But my thought is that we shall hatt! here, even on this spot. Beh- I thrust my sacred stnff (turup , : < p into the soil and hang mi that .-tali: my girdle." Then Uhiaiiade clear to them the meaning of he suspended girdle as representing l'e A awa lying on the field of battle, >utt!ie warriors paid no Kient attcutonfoi ■, -re eager for the fray, to break 'i , the fifty twice told of tuhoe set forth to challenge the toawa to tight. They found them -at ■e Ariki pa at Lake Tarawera. When jf; Arnwa observed the r>arty of uhoe thev pursued thom. Te Tokai tl'uhoe cried to Tionga of Ngati-' 'ingitihi, " Tionga E! Takaruua, ikamuri." And Tionga replied : Hoatu, hoatu, kia penei ake te poko nauria ana inai e ahau hei | "'to ino taku kupenga." And the arriors <if tho A raw rose I 'pursue Tuhoe, but the Tuhoe lured Km ou that they might battle c the spot selected by Uhia. And e Waha-kai-kapua with the best jhting men of the Arawa pursued "-hundred of Tuhoo even unto the lace where the sacred 6taff, the emtan of Te Eehu-o-Tainui, the first of Te Urewera, had been erected, ['en Tuhoe turned. The matnika Wt slain) of that battle was Te iiha kai-kapua of the Arawa, then 11 Tiorijra and then Te Rangi kaand then Te Huri-nui and also hers. The Arawa were defeated and at hattle-ground received the name Il'uke-kai-kaahu. Then Tuhon re ned to Ruatahuna. and the widovvs the Arawa slain composed a ni st !f ;r kaioraora against the manTing warriors of Te Urewera. 4 -id then Hine-i-turama the widow 'he slain Hurinui of Te Arawa was Mcome with grief on account of the a, h of her husband whose head had

been cut off and carried far away to Ruatahuna by the Ngati-Tuhoe. And a great desire came upon Hine to look upon the head of Rurinui and she disclosed this desire to the men of her tribe. And the Arawa consented to escort her to Ruatahuna that her desire might be gratified. On arriving at Ruatahuna the Tuhoe assembled to view their visitors. Now all the heads of the slain Arawa had been taken by Tuhoe to Ruatahuna. ITine-i-turama called unto Rangi»pa of Tuhoe, " Is the head of Hurinui with you ?" And it was there, f-'o Hine cried to them to bring to her the head of her husband that she might wail over it And Rangi-pa took a cloak and wrapping the head in it he carried it over to the encampment of the Arawa. Hinesaid "Placeitupon theturuturu," (a stake on which heads of the slain were placed). Rangi-pa did so and uncovered the head. Tli6n the Arawa girded themselves and performed the haka of Hine-i-turama. Eight hundred Arawa warriors took part in the haka, the very earth trembled. Tuhoe said " lie whatitiri kite rangi, ko to Arawa kite whenua." (The noise of tho Arawa on earth is like unto the thunder of heaven.) When the haka was over peace was restored between the tribes and the Arawa rose to depart to their homes. As they started Hape, the priest of the Arawa, kindled with his own hands aliro, as a ta whakataumata. As the fire burned, the smoke rolled down across the trail by which the Arawa were about to depart. The assembly of Tuhoe gazed in silence at this work of tho oracle, and SOO fighiing men of To Arawa awaited tho decision of the ' waka ' of their god Makawe. Then the tohunga, Hape, arose and said "Ko teriri kei mua i a tatou Listen, O Tribe! War lies before us. even on our path by which we go." And each man speedily piepared himself and repeated the ki -tao (invocation) over his weapon, that his spear might serve him well in the fray which all knew was soon to come, lor had not the gods so declared it. t-'o the Arawa departed. [To BE C.INTISDFD,]