IN SEARCH OF THE NORTH ISLAND

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 261, 3 November 1937, Page 13

IN SEARCH OF THE NORTH ISLAND

The Romantic Tama-te-Kapua (Party 4-15, coypright). Tama-te-Kapua, the tall handsome commander of the famous Arawa canoe, was a romantic, adventurous personality not unattractive to members of the opposite sex, if the veracity of the traditional accounts of his indiscretions is to pass unchallenged. While he directed the preparation of the Arawa lor her long sea voyage he decided that Ngatoro-i-rangi, a famous tohunga, and his attractive wife, Kaeroa, as well as the wife of Ruaeo, a lady named Wkaka-o-ti-rangi, -would be his guests on the voyage. Ngatoro-i-rangi was to travel on the Tainui canoe but just as embarkation was being finalised and the canoes ready to depart, Tama-te-Kapua employed a ruse to secure both the noted tohunga and his wife as passengers on the Arawa. The pretext was that the Arawa could not possibly sail before the important ceremonial rites had been performed over her. Ngatoro and his wife readily consented to perform these services and as the vessel was on the point of departure Tama-to-Kapua brought on board the wife of Ruaeo. In securing her person Tama-te-Kapua had to deal with her husband, a chief much taller than himself and credited in the traditions of the race as being 11 ft. high. In the midst of the farewells Tama suddenly turned to Ruaeo with a request that he run to Tama’s whare to secure an axe which he had overlooked in his hurry :o be off. Euaeo readily consented and ’.s he disappeared from the throng of • ell-wishers Tama quickly claimed tho air Whaka-o-ti-rangi, placed her on >oard and gave the order for the Arawa to cast off. Plying their paddles with vigor the | crew made the great canoe glide grace- • fully out across the waters of the , i lagoon and not many minutes passed bo- , • fore she had passed through the open.ing in the reef and was out upon the . ocean of Kiwa with her course set for Aotea Eoa. The traditions are sileut , as \o any objection being raised by the two ladies Tama-te-Kapua had uncere- , moniously abducted. Ngatoro-i-rangi, , however, was very annoyed and threatened all sorts of dire consequences if ( he was not placed aboard the Tainui but became calm when assured that tho Tainui would soon catch up and all would be well. As a matter of fact the crew of the Tainui were urged to employ all their strength to overtake tho Arawa but the wiley Tama-te-Kapua secretly encouraged his crew to maintain the utmost speed. When Euaeo, or Eua as he is known in some of the Traditions, returned to the beach the Arawa was almost out of , sight. The Tainui, too, had departed, so after calling upon the gods to wrack vengeance upon the treacherous Tama-te-Kapua, Euaeo prepared to take passage in the next canoe to sail for Aotea Boa. This vessel was the Pukeatea-wai-nui and with 140 warriors Euaeo sailed in pursuit of tho Arawa to arrive at Maketu in the Bay of Plenty a. day or so iu advance of Tama-te-(Kapua who had been resting at i Whangaparaoa. Hidden by the great forest of Tane, Ruaeo and his men watched the Arawa come to anchor not far off the beach just as dusk was setting in. He anticipated that the crew would be too tired to think about landing in the night and when it became apparent that the vessel was wrapped in slumber Euaeo and his warriors, after silently connecting several lines to the sides of the Arawa, commenced to draw her gently towards the beach where skids were laid for her berthing. When the vessel was resting on the skids Euaeo played a soft low air familiar to his wife, hoping that this would reveal to her the presence of her husband. The charm worked, Whaka-o-ti-rangi awoke and peering over the side of the canoe saw her husband. She was as startled as a bird disturbed from its ; nest but withholding her alarm ; readily agreed to her husband’s instructions to inform Tama-te-Kapua that she had had a dream and had heard Eua paying on his flute. When morning dawned Whaka-o-ti-rangi told Tama of her dream and soon afterwards Tama was convinced that what Whaka-o-ti-rangi had told him was more than a dream. The voice of Euaeo challenging him to a fight could not be denied and soon the two giants were engaged in mortal combat. With their wooden weapons they fought until the fight became more of a wrestling match when the commander of the Arawa canoe was worsted. 1 •There” said Euaeo, “I have beaten you. You can keep the woman you stole from me.” W'ith these words Euaeo departed with his followers while the humiliated Tama turned to is people for sympathy. The people of Arawa canoe established themselves at Maketu but later Tama-te-Kapua departed with Ngatoro-i-rangi to Cape Colville where he passed away. Tama-te-Kapua’s abduction of Ruaeo's wife and association with the wife of the tohunga, Ngatoro, was equalled by that of Kupe who abducted the daughter of Toto, a paramount chief of Hawaiki. This lady, Kuramarotini, was the wife of Hoturapa, a friend of Kupe. She owned the famous canoe Matahorua and one day the three of them went fishing in the canoe. One of the fishing lines became entangled and Kupe induced Hoturapa to dive overboard to free the line. As soon as Hoturapa disappeared over the side Kupe took charge of the canoe and with Kuramarotini, sailed away to Aotea Eoa. This Hoturapa was a brother-in-law of Turi, the commander of the famous Aotea canoe.

Before the people of the Arawa canoe commenced to spread about the land they suffered the loss of their canoe at the hands of Raumati, a chief of the Tainui canoe who, as related iu the previous chapter, came to Maketu and set fire to the shelter covering the canoe with the aid of a fiery dart. At the time of this incident the tribe of Tama-te-Kapua were absent exploring the interior. The red glow in the heavens over their village revealed to some of the people that there was something amiss and they hastened to return to find that their canoe had been consumed by the flumes. The followers of Hei,

a chief who came with the Arawa, were satisfied that the destructive work had been performed by Raumati of Taonui and after lengthy deliberation it was resolved to declare war on the people of that canoe. When Tama-te-Kapua departed for Cape Coville, Ikenga another chief, together with his followers, proceeded inland to take possession of Kotorua. Other representatives of the now established Arawa tribe scattered to the north while Hatapatu and his elder brothers Ha-roa and Ha-nui settled with their parents between Eotorua and the head waters of the Waikato river. Bird-snaring was their principal occupation and always Hatupatu, being the younger, received as his share the less satisfying of the fruits of the hunt. Hunger drove him one day to break into the store containing the calabashes of preserved birds and after satisfying his appetite he ran about the store leaving footprints with the object of making it appear that many people had visited the store. This done he caused himself certain minor injuries so that when his brothers returned and found the store house broken open Hatupatu told them that a raiding party had been responsible. This scheme of Hatupatu’s prevailed for some time and then he was found out and duly punished so severely that he was killed and buried beneath a pile of bird feathers. His parents appealed to the gods and a spirit named Tamumu-ki-te-rangi (He that buzzes in the skies) buzzed off to the place where Hatupatu was buried and by the aid of enchantments brought the youth back to life. After an adventure with a woman named Kurangaituku, Hatupatu at last returned to his people who resided on the edge of Lake Eotorua. In the mythological history of Polynesia this Kurangaituku was an ogress who had wings on hler arms, could spear birds with her lips and lived on raw meat. When Hatupatu went to her home he was unable to eat the raw food which she prepared for him and each day he prevailed upon the ogress to go furthj er and further afield hunting to enable ! him to spend more time examining her abode and cooking food for himself. One day he gathered up her valuable cloaks and fled. On her return Kurangaituku was informed by a bird of Hatupatu’s flight and quickly pur-sued-him. With the ogress hard on his heels Hatupatu, by the aid of a karakia, hid in a rock and the ogress rushing on was scalded to death in the hot springs at Whakarewarewa. Possessed of the valuable cloaks and a mighty double sword belonging to the ogress Hatupatu returned home at the time when his tribe were preparing to seek revenge for the destruction of the ancestral canoe. His brothers were important chiefs and held high positions in the tribe and in the preparations for the departure Hatupatu was not considered, nor offered any post. Left 'to himself he decided to play a part in the proceedings and by devious and miraculous ways journeyed to the Bay of Plenty, arriving on the eve of the battle against the men of Eaumati. Ha-nui and Ha-roa suffered heavily at the hands of the enemy and just as the fighting was shaping for a victory for the people of Tainui, Hatupatu stepped to the front and rallied his people for a counter-attack. Inspired by the youthful chief the Arawa people turned in their tracks and under the influence of powerful Karakia recited by Hatupatu, swept all before them. Eaumati’s people fought gamely but in face of the inspired host of Hatupatu they fell away hopelessly , outclassed. Hatupatu fought as vigorously as any of them and the real prize of the battle, Raumati’s head, fell to the young chief weilding the mighty sword of Kurangaituku. Returning to Eotorua, Ha-nui and Ha-roa each carried a head which they claimed to be that of Raumati. They did not know that Hatupatu had secured the prize Questioned in turn by their father on arrival, Ha-nui and Ha-roa each produced a head which they claimed was that of Raumati but their father knew otherwise for the face of Eaumati was familiar to him. When Hatupatu was asked to produce his trophy he uncovered his parcel and produced the head of he who had destroyed the Arawa canoe. Hatupatu was at once promoted while his elder brothers were debased for their deceit. (Tq be continued.)