IN SEARCH OF THE NORTH ISLAND

Manawatu Times, Volume 60, Issue 196, 21 August 1935, Page 2

IN SEARCH OF THE NORTH ISLAND

The Kaiapohia Pa Incident (XXX) (Copyright). ln the book referred at the commencement of the previous article it is stated that on Te Pehi leaving for England in the ship Urania he left his forces nominally in the charge of his son, Te Hiko (Niho?), "though it was not long before the masterful Te Rauparaha had virtually usurped the reigns of office, for the boy could not stand against one of his superiority.’' And further on it is stated "Hardly had Te Pehi got clear of the coast on his way to England than Te Rauparaha, either with or without consent of Te Hiko, who was left in nominal charge of the tribe, began a series of raids which resulted in the virtual conquest of the greater part of the South Island." Not until Te Pehi’s return from England does the writer credit Te Rauparaha as being accepted “as the great fighting chief, if not Titular head of the tribe."

Tamihana Te Rauparaha, son of the Ngati Toa Chief, was the source the recorder of Ancient Maori History (John White) tapped to obtain the history of Te Rauparaha himself and in that, which includes the story of the de parture from Kawhia, no mention is made of Te Pehi at all. He does not exist in the story of the first visit to these parts when Te Rauparaha, accompanied by Whaka Nene and Patu One, two powerful and influential chiefs of the Waikato, “came to look at Kapiti." Seeing a vessel out in Raukawa (Cook Straight) Nene said to Te Rauparaha, ‘‘Oh Raha do you see the people sailing out yonder on the sea? They are a very good tribe of people. If you obtain possession of this district you will become a great man—you will be able to possess guns and powder." Te Rauparaha agreed and when the taua arrived back at Kawhia he pondered upon the problem of leaving his home and making a new one in the district of Kapiti. The decision made to depart, it is Te Rauparaha that is noted as bidding farewell to the paramount chiefs of neighbouring tribes, Te Wherowhero. etc. They depart “going to Wai Ponnumu and to Kapiti ’ '—weeping and singing the dirge of his regret.

The Ngati Toa account of Te Rauparaha's accension to chieftainship of the Tribe is as follows: When Hape-ki-tu-a-rangi was near to death he asked, Who will take or fill my place or position? He asked an answer to this question, from each of his sons but not one of them uttered a word. Te Rauparaha rose from the midst of an assembly of chiefs and said ‘I will fill your place or position; and I shall be able to do acts which you have not been able to accomplish, so Te Rauparaha took the place of the supreme leader of all the Ngati Toa in war to obtain revenge for past defeats of murders, and to determine for war or otherwise.

The Ngati Toa account of Te Pehi's death at Kaiapoha Pa is to the effect that Te Pehi insisted upon accepting

the invitation to enter the Pa in spite of Te Rauparaha's warnings—“l have had had an evil omen; mine was an evil dream last night." Years after the event the Ngati Tahu presented a petition (1869) to the House of Representatives in which they gave an account of the causes which led up to the killing Te Pehi and other chiefs. They claimed that the Rangitane (South Island branch) had promoted the trouble by saying that Te Rauparaha was to be killed with a stick used for beating fern-root. Te Rauparaha thereupon attacked the Rangitane and Rerewhaka of the Ngaitahu, on hearing that Ngai Tahu relatives had been killed gave it that he would rip Te Raupahara’s belly up with the tooth of a barracoota “and it was through that that this evil visited this place " (Kaiapohia). The Ngaitahu claimed that Te Rauparaha should have killed Rerewhaka (which he didn’t) and not the descendants of Tuteahuka. It was further alleged that Te Rauparaha dug up the body of the mother of another famous chief and this crime resulted in the slaughter of Te Pehi. Te Rauparaha desired utu for the death of Te Pehi and the others and the suggestion was made by Hohepa Taumaihengia (why died at Porirua in the early 70’s) that a vessel in which he arrived at Kapiti should be engaged to convey a war party to Akaroa. The negotiations were upset by some European passengers and the vessel allowed to depart on her voyage to Sydney. However brig Elizabeth arrived later and Te Rauparaha was successful in entering into an agreement with the master, a man named Stewart, to convey the Ngati Toa warriors to their desired destination where it was proposed to seize the principal chief of the Ngaitahu, Tamaiharanui, who resided at Akaroa and whose mother Te Rauparaha had so unceremoniously removed from her grave—the event which the Ngai Tahu say caused the death of Te Pehi. A large cargo of flax was the price and Stewart agreed. In writing of this terrible affair Travers says that very possibly Stewart was unaware at the time of the real intention of Te Rauparaha. His name, however, will always be infamous for his connection with this attrocious affair. On arrival at Akaroa Stewart, at the instigation of Te Rauparaha, invited Tamaiharanui with his wife and daughter, on board promising them guns and-powder. Unsuspecting they accepted and were promptly seized by Te Rauparaha and then followed the attack on the Ngai Tahu village which resulted in big losses by the defenders. The dead were taken on the ship and the Ngati Toa returned to Kapiti where the usual feast was held.

Tamaiharanui was brought to Otaki where he was handed over to the wife of Te Pehi and the wives of the other chiefs who were killed at the time Kupe met his death. He suffered terrible tortures before he expired. Te Rauparaha, Travers records did not witness his death and although appealed to said thathe could not interfere as it was a Ngati Toa affair. Later came the organised attack and and sacking of the great Kaiapohia Pa the story of which has been recorded by the Rev John Stack whose further notices on early Maori history are now being published. Slack was born in

a Maori Pa in 1835 and lived through very stirring times and has left behind a valuable diary containing voluminous notes of his experiences among the Maori as a Missioner and later as Canon Stack.

As before stated Te Pehi played a very small part in the activities of the Ngati Toa on this coast. The three events in his life were capture of Kapiti, his visit to England, (accomplished in a manner most unbecoming for one stated to be a paramount Chief) and his death at Kaiapohia. Even his departure for England did not produce any concern among his own people and the absence of any comprehensive account of his career, outside his own story which must have been but imperfectly understood by those who interviewed him at Home, is evident enough of his want of importance in relation to the achievement of the Maori Napoleon. (To bo continued).