IN SEARCH OF THE NORTH ISLAND

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 39, 16 February 1937, Page 5

IN SEARCH OF THE NORTH ISLAND

Growing Mana of The Northern inbes (Part 3-33). (Copyright). The conquest of tne Auckland Isthmus, the laud of the Wai-o-Hua people, was completed by the Taoa section of the Ngati Whatua trit>o about 1750 aud at that period the great northern peninsula was almost equally divided between Nga Puhi in the north and Ngati Whatua in the scuth. These were the paramount tribes occupying the peninsula and they were supported by innumerable subtribes who, in many cases, were related, by marriage, with both Nga Puhi and Ngati Whatua. The remnant of Wai-o-U.ua had been absorbed in the lunks of Ngati Whatua but some were permitted to live in peace as refugees with hapus south of the Isthmus. It was during the period of peace that the chief of the Taou section of Ngati Whatua, & man named Tupc-riri, built a great pa on One Tree Hill, where he and his immediate followers resided. As the great chief of Wai-o-Hua had done beforo him from Mt. Eden, Tuperiri looked out from his high vantage point upon the industry of his people, who proceeded to cultivato the rich lava fields, which produced great yiolila of the tasteful kuinara, and draw from the seas an abundance of lish. Peace dcscinded upon the land but tho victors could not overlook the fact that they wero living dangerously near the boundary line of very war-like tribes; to the south, those of the Waikato, and to the cast on the shores of the Hauraki Gulf, tho Alaru-Tuahu tribes, the nearest of w hich was that of tho Ngati 2'aoa people. They were not to know that the time was approaching when the territory which they had but recently acquired would become the highway over which warriors from the north and south were to pass in the wars which were to develop between Nga Puhi and Waikato, nor of the great expeditions which were destined to arise with the growing mana of the tribes. Nor were they awe re that they were ultimately to be passed over and disappear as a great tribe. There was no shadow of the future to be seen across the cultivations stretching before Tupe-riri as he gazed down from One Tree Hill, and for closo on two generations nothing of any serious consequence occurred to disturb the peaceful occupations of Ngati Whatua. As this interval drew to a close, however, there took place a division of land near the city of Auckland, which was to produco repercussions. The authority for this division was a person of some standing, who was a descendant of a marriage between Ngati Taou and Waikato and whoso offspring had married a Ngato P&oa man. The la/id, which was the Panmure district, was given to this Ngati P&oa man and whou the gift was made, Waikato interests predicted trouble, since it was considered injudicious to in any way extend the territorial interests of the Uanraki Gulf people. The counsels of the Waikato chiefs failed to prevail and the land was duly occupied by the Ngati Paoa man and his wife, but among the Ngati Whatua there commenced murmurings of dissatisfaction and as opportunity offered they made known their displeasure at the intrusion of Ngati Paoa interests. 111-feeling quickened when a member oftho Ngati P&oa tribe suffered an insult during a fishing expedition. It seemed that it was inevitable that it should do because tho Ngati Whatua people were far from being contented in tho knowledge that Hauraki Gulf interests, who were known to be hostile, were beginning to step over the borders into the country newly conquered by Ngati Whatua. All went well in the fishing excursion until one of the Ngati Whatua fishermen was inspired to give a fish just landed the name of a Ngati Paoa chief living at the Thames. The inference was altogether too manifest to be overlooked and it was not long before a clash followed between the two interests and in this battle in whieh native war weapons figured the Ngati Paoa forces were heavily defeated at Kangi-ataruu, near Puponga, on the Manukau. Although victorious the Taou people of Ngati Whatua were not confident of-their ability to stem the trouble this conflict was likely to produco and so appoaled to their friends of the Waikato for assist ance towards completing what they considered a just punishment of Ngati Paoa for daring to question the power of tho conquerors of tho Isthmus. The tribes gathered upon tho waters of the Waitcmata and in tbeir canoes proceeded to Waiheko Island in search of Ngati Paoa. who were known to be preparing to challenge the Ngati Whn tua rights and, failing in their quest, crossed the Taniaki strait where, to their consternation, they wero set upon by those whom they so confidently soogbt. .Something in the nature of a naval engagement followed in which the Hauraki forces proved successful, the victims including Te Tahuri who gave the land which Waikato interests prophesied would lead to trouble. Both sides suffered considerable Josses and the situation thereafter was such as to render the Isthmus something approaching a no-man's land. It was unhealthy for either Ngati Whatua or Nguti Paoa. Early in the J9ta century Ngati Paoa returned to build a formidable pa at Mau-inaina (mountain where people bask in tho sun), located on the west bank of tho Tam&ki river, a pa which » was subsequently to fall to Nga Puhi forces under the redoubtable Hongi Hike after his return from his visit to England. The trouble with the Thames people who, it will be remembered, were descendants of those who came in the Taioui canoe, and the embroilment of Waikato interests laid the founda tion for the great expeditions of the northern tribes to the south—expedi tion* which witnessed the growing m&nu of Nga Puhi, the submergence of Ngati Whatua and the rise to power of the |«»t JEflttftte tribes, 4 * M M # Nga Puhi

fought with Waikato, and Waikato fought with Taranaki, so that war was universal from tho North Cape even to the end of Wai-pounainu (Houth Island); and our tribe (Ngati Wf.auanga of Ngati Maru of the Thames) joined in these wars, but wo were not driven out of Hauraki, but our lands were held by us by the power of our warriors." Ngati Maru, of the Thames, invaded the Nga Puhi country and fought several battles and in retaliation Nga Puhi warriors ventured into tho territory of Ngati Maru where they suffered considerable losses. White, in his history of the ancient Maori, describes one of the great sea fights which took place on the Thames between Ngati Maru and Nga Puhi. The account which is the Ngati Puhi version, states: A great force of warriors had gone to attack Nga Puhi who wore voyaging down the coast to attack Ngati Maru. Now & Maori war party on the sea moves at night from place to place in canoes, for fear of being seen by the enemy. The Nga Puhi were voyaging down the east coast in the night while a single canoe of Ngati Maru was near a rocky point lying at anchor and those on board could see the fleet of war canoes of Nga Puhi coming nearer. As soon as the fleet got near to tho point the one canoe (one which had sailed after the main fleet of Ngati Maru canoes) was paddled as fast as the crew could propel her towards one of the canoes of the coming fleet. On to this canoe she went and turned it over and put the crew of Nga Puhi warriors into the sea. The crews of the other c&noes of the Nga Puhi fleet, seeing this became intimidated, but tho ono canoe of Ngatt Maru dashed on to another of the Nga Puhi fleot, and this also was upset. This so frightened tho crews of some of the other Nga Puhi canoes that in their dread they upset their own canoes; at the sanle time the warriors of the Nga Puhi canoes saw tho rocks which stood out on tho point inshore of them and, boing dark, Nga Puhi thought chese rocks wore warriors of Ngati fii&ru in great numbers, waiting to join in the battle. Tho battle ended in victory for Ngati Maru and was ever after referred to as the attack of Te-wai-kopiro-po (the water in which they were ducked at night). Theso conflicts gradually gathered in strength as the 19th century dawned and according to the Ngati Maru history Nga Puhi felt evil continually in, their hearts which Jed to tho act of Honi Hika taking a voyage to England to obtain guns and powder to enable him to exterminate the Ngati Maru and Ngati Whatua tribes, with those of Waikato and all the tribes who had warred against him. On his return Hongi Hika, with hls Nga gubLlojpes gathered together,* proceeded Sown the coast to attack the Mau-inajqapa which was occupied by thq Nga,to £ofip people. Here Hongi first used the gua* and powder uhich he had been successful an procuring in Sydney in exch&uge for the gifts which King George IV. had showered on the warrior when he viwted England. It is interesting to record that the Hauraki tribes firmly believed that King George bad given powder and guns to Hongi Hika, hence their indifference to tho invitations of tho Government of the day to assist in putting down the so-called rebel tribes. While Nga Puhi and Ngati Maru were engaged in conflicts in the Thames, Ngati Whatua force* took part in two raids on Taranaki under the leadership of Muru-paenga, the great fighting chief who had been successful against Nga Puhi forces at the battle of Morcmo-nui pa, situated a few miles north of Dargaville, in 2807. This engagement occurred at tho period when tho Nga Puhi people were just beginning to acquire firearms through intercourse with tho whalers frequenting the Bay of Islands. Tho .sgati Whatua people who, it will be remembered, occupied tho country aoulh from a lino drawn ucross the peninsula from Maunganui Bluff to a point on the east coast, half-way between Whangarei and the Bay of Islands, hud not any firearms and in fact had not had the opportunity of acquiring any. The opposing forces mot near the coast line and went through the formalities associated with the impending engagement. Before dawn on tho day of the battle the Ngati Whatua host (vide Percy Smith) partook of a hasty meal and not long afterwards, just at tho break of day, the Nga Puhi army appeared and, not suspecting the proximity of their opponents at once tok off their belts, laid down their weapons, and proceeded to prepare a meal. At this moment Ngati Whatua suddenly launched their attack causing the utmost confusion to prevail among Nga Puhi. Tho fighting developed and soon Nga Puhi were driven towards the beach where the struggle swayed in the balance for some time until Pokaia, loader of Nga Puhi, was mortally wounded. Tho Nga Puhi host immediately became panic stricken and commenced to flee followed by the victorious Ngati Whatua who slaughtered the enemy right aud left. Many great chiefs of Nga Puhi were killed while the celebrated Hongi Hika only just escaped. The exact number of casualties suffered by Nga Puhi aro not known but they acknowledge tho loss of 150 men out of a taua of 500. Maori history always says that it was due to this humiliating defeat of Nga Puhi Chat decided Hongi Ilika to visit England in 1820 for tho purpose of obtaining firearms in order to avenge th* death of his warriors. (Te bo continued.)