IN SEARCH OF THE NORTH ISLAND

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 189, 12 August 1936, Page 13

IN SEARCH OF THE NORTH ISLAND

Century Old Conflicts Recalled

With something of the story concerning the coming of the Tainui canoe to Aotea Roa presented, our search will be continued in the direction of unfolding a little more of the history of this coast line, extending from Tougaporutu to the Mokau, since the centuries old events in this locality have a con-

nection and an influence upon what is to follow later when we dip into tho past of the Waikato country. There is much of interest to bo gathered from an inspection of this coastline which for hundreds of years was the scene of many encounters between the descendants of the several canoes who came to settle the countryside in 1350. And even back beyond this outstanding date in the history of Aotea Roa, the tangata wkenua—the original inhabitants —did not always live in peace and harmony. They had their conflicts and their wars and the pasture bearing lands of to-day which once supported the great forest of Tane hold deep down under the sod tho dust of those warriors who occupied the country before the canoes of the great migration of 13-50 landed their human freight from Hawaiiki.

At the mouth of the Tougaporutu river will be found a rather small island, known as Pataugata, which was the great island pa of Taringa-kuri and formed one of a net work of defences along tho coastal track against invasion from the north. This pa was occupied by the Ngati Tama people, a tribe that took its riarno from Tama-ihu-toroa, great grandson of Tama-te-kapua, the captain of the Arawa canoe and which later absorbed tho remnant of the Ngai Tara-pounamu tribe, referred to in the last' chapter as having settled at Wai-iti, and thereby became connected with the Tainui people of Kawhia. This connection was later to prove of great value to Te Rauparaha, the Ngati Toa warrior, for it enabled him to pass through this country unmolested when on bis way to conquer the Manawatu country, notwithstanding the fact that he was a descendant of people who were the enemy of the Ngati Tama. A little furtner north of tho Tongaporutu tho track was barred by the Omaliu pa, another formidable obstruction to tlioso from tho north wishing to invade Taranaki. After passing Omaliu tho track used by the old Maori turned inland to be hidden in the forest until the beach becarno useable again and a point where it emerged from the iorest to join the beach, stood the most famous of all the coastal pas, that known as To Kawau. This celebrated fort of the Ngati Tama tribe was, according to the notes compiled by Mr W. H. Skinner, in former times the key to the whole of tho West Coast, ‘‘the buttress which for generations stemmed the tide of invasion from the north, by tauas of the powerful Ngati Maniapoto and "Waikato in their attempted incursions into the fertile Taranaki country.”

The main pa is described as having boon situated on an isolated rock partly surrounded at high water, tho extent of the top was about 75 yards by 40 and the only approach was from the landward side by using Ladders which were always drawn up after the inhabitants had retired within the pa. Un all other sides the cliti's rose sheer to a. height of from eighty to one hundred feet. The other part of the pa was separated from this citadel by a deep rift or chasm twenty yards wide and over-one hundred feet deep. It was into this rift that the Ngati Mauiapoto chief, Pchi-tahanga fell when trying to make his escape following the failure of a surprise attack on the pa. ,Of this iucident it is recorded that the Ngati Mauiapoto came to obtain revenge for the death of one of their chiefs and very nearly succeeded in taking the great pa. The only approach to this stronghold (other thau by the ladder in the possession of the occupiers of the fortification) was by means of steps cut iu the sandstone rock on the landward side up which only one man could go at a time. It was night, or early dawn, and part of the taua had gained the summit of the island pa where thy were discovered by the Ngati Tama sentries who immediately attacked. The invaders were gradually driven back over the cliff and as only one man could get down at a time, the taua was caught iu a trap. Pehitahanga, in trying to escape, fell over the eiiff into the gut some hundred feet below where his body was recovered by the Ngati Tama and subsequently eaten with great ceremony. The last stronghold of tho Ngaiti Tama people was just south of the Mohakatino river and was known as Hukunui. There was another pa named Puke-kari-rua, about a mile south of Mokau while the conical shaped hill ou the south bank of the Mokau, known as Puke-kahu, was used to light those warning fires when hostile parties from the north were on the move. There were also pas ou the north bank of the Mokau but these were tho fortifications of the Ngati Mauiapoto tribe who occupied tho country north and northcast of the Mokau, the Waikato people having the country along the coast to Kawhia, while north again were the Ngati iiaukawa tribe. The first conflict between the tribes settled along this coast is stated to have occurred about the third generation after the arrival of the fleet when the hapu of Motai, a grandson of Hoturoa, fell out with a hapu of the Ngati A.wa people who 'resided somewhere adjacent to Awakino. In this conflict a woman of Motai’s people was capj tured and made a slave of the Ngati Awa and this resulted in her son raising a war party which captured several of the pas along the coast as far south as the Mimi river. Smith records that this was really , the commencement of th 6 series of conflicts along this stretch of coast which lasted until 1828 when tho Ngati Tama people abandoned their country and ultimately settled in the | Chatham Islands. In the days of Toarangatira, eponymous ancestor of the ' gati Toa tribe, a Taranaki taua journeyed to Kawhia to assist in a war waged over a dog9’ skin cloak. This was a very complicated affair and arose out of the jealousy that grew from the

fact that the much prized garment, was given to one whose solicitations proved successful while refused to another. Ho who was successful enjoyed possession of the cloak for but a short period becoming a victim to his vanity at tho hands of his rival, who, in turn, suffered from the war party who came from Taranaki to avenge the death of their relative.

A few generations later the coast line witnessed another movement of warriors from the Waikato who, led by two chiefs named Te Tipi and Inu-wai, invaded the Taranaki country for a reason lost in the mists of time. This party returned from their expedition via tho Ruahine range to Akuriri and thence by way of the Titi-o-kura saddle and Taupe to Cambridge. They had hardly settled down after their expedition when a taua from Taranaki arrival by a round about route and the battle of Hinga-kaka was fought not far from Te Awamutu. The taua from Taranaki met with success until this battle when they suffered defeat and considerable losses.

A frontier engagement between the Ngati Tama and the Ngati Maniapoto has some features very like those surrounding tho unsuccessful attempt of tho Muaupoko people at Horowkenua to exterminate Te Rauparaha and his people. At one time there existed near the mouth of tho Mohaka-tiuo river a cave which was resorted to by a party of the Ngati Maniapoto who . were, bent upon the business of settling a,dispute regarding the ownership of laud between this place and the Mokau. It was during a period of peaco and the Ngati Tama decided to entrap the party as utu for past troubles. Tho Ngati Tama made a great show of friendliness and mingled among tho visitors who, quite disarmed owing to the apparent friendliness of the Ngati Tama people, prepared for a tangi. The Ngati Tama, nowever, were equipped with concealed arms and according to a prearranged plan mixed with tho Ngati Maniapoto until at a given signal they fell upon the Waikato visitors and killed nearly the whole party. The death of Tai-porutu of Matamata, father of Te Waharoa, whoso son was W'iremu Tamihana Tarapipipi, 'the “king-maker,” was connected with, a battle fought near tho famous Ts Kawau pa of the Ngati Tama people. Of the surroundings of this pa Mr Skinner wrote: ‘‘On the hard sandy beach below and to the north .of Ts Kawau was fought many a pitched battle, and there has been heard times beyond measure the thundering chorus of the ngeri, or war-dance, the forerunner of a coming light.” Seeking revenge for the death of Tai-potutu a. war party, said to have been ono thousand strong, came to attack tho Te Kawau pa but met with defeat. The great pa successfully withstood innumerable seiges until the introduction of the musket when it failed to hold out against the iire-stieks of tho Europeans. Early in tho nineteenth century the Ngati Tama were successful in an engagement which took place at Motutavva, a pretty little island in the Mokau river, a mile or so from tho south. The Mokau hapus, worsted in this battle, fled to Otorahauga where some three years later they planned, under a leader named Tc Wliarau-roa to recapture their former pa and lands. They had long lamented the loss of their old home and sighed for tho murmurings of the sea and the salt-laden breezes which used to awaken memories of the.hidden ages. Nearly three hundred strong the party set out on its difficult trek and a surprise attack saw the Ngati Tama worsted in the initial onslaught. Many of the Ngati Tama fled to the beach on the coast where the main battle war, fought and the name of that battle was Nga-tai-pari-rua (the twice flowing tide). Tho reason for this name, it is said, is that the battle was fought during two flood tides. Ngati-Tama were worsted and oblige to fall back on their stronghold at Te Kawau. Here, nursing their defeat, yet secure against invasion, the Ngati Tama planned to outdo the Makou ihapu and accordingly invited them to a feast. Several accepted the invitation and were slain and thereafter the Ngati Rakei people (Mokau hapu) were glad to make peace with the Ngati Tama tribe who virtually controlled tho west coast. (To be continued).