TAMAKI-MAKAU RAU.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13187, 26 May 1906, Page 1 (Supplement)

TAMAKI-MAKAU RAU.

the PASSIKG OF AX ancient- .. ■, : PEOPLE. .'.', Long days h;, v .'•••''lout. I>koc '-Mitre the pakehas in fcSi« eci , a.*jgft;-..nga.' : t'lilpuhe . frosw across ■ti'fegrf,-'' waters crime to Te Ika-.i-"Maui, in tk.> 'day? wliea the rocks aSid !/./ trees d.i?«*'*',if©/arid spoke to one r.noi-r.rr in th .-s-..!S , night linf,. vlten the great iv ~li& dwelt -'-in ■•; tin. waters or/.Whangrimai'au, and when catk-d'■':•" the piJiciu Mount- Ear 1, w;-; the civveilir. ;■ place of a mighty a tea, the ancient people came out of the -mists from their land of . Hawiikai, in their great canoe Tainui to Te Ika-si-Maui, and they sailed in at Hiiuraki •(.nd beheld a ••oml'irful-land and a' worm, --nil inland so;: Before them spread the opal waters teeming with fish, above- them was the mighty beacon of RangitOto, and iii front- was a vast sweep of rich fertile land, dot'-d with volcanic cones designed by nature for pas. North and south, many days they roamed over their beautiful new country, every hour discovering some added, attraction, but trie land of Tama Id, the land they had first beheld, washed by the wafers of the great inland sea, and which had another vast : inland sea ;a the other side of ' the hills, was best, and they named the one great water Waiteinata and the other Mimukau:, and that was between 500 and 600 years ago. They marked out lor themselves a territory, and called the one boundary Otahuhu and the other To Whan,' and called: their country Tamaki, and it was afterwards found so beautiful and so beloved of all the" ancient people that it was lovingly designated, "Tamaki, makau ran'' ' (Tamaki of a hundred lovers). These, the first people, were called the Ngaoho, and they -had two branches named the Ngaiwi and the Ngatitai, but latterly they amalgamated and became generally known as the Waiohua. In the centre of the Tamaki territory stood Mapangawhau, the great mountain with the hollow centre, where once lire burned at the command of the gods, and Manngakiekie. now called One-tree Hill by the pakeha. These natural strongholds were surrounded by slopes, of rich, warm, volcanic soil, where the kumaras grew larger than anywhere else, and the ancient people settled' there, and built strong pas and fortified them, on Maungawbau and Maungakiekie, and their trenches and earthwork's remain to this day, monuments to the warlike skill of the ancient people. There the people dwelt in peace, and extended their possessions to include the islands of Hauraki Gulf, and they grew rapidly to be a great and powerful '.race. There seemed to have i been: few incidents of great moment 5 in the j history of the people then for many years, i About 150 years; after the arrival of the I ancient people at Hauraki the people of Tamaki held, a great korero,- when' the wanderers, the Ngatawa, passed, through ; Tamaki on their way to the far north, ; where they dwelt and" fought the Ngapuhi for one hundred years. Then,: under the leadership of the great ramgitira Kahuuutimi, he- who carried the tuatara to frighten all' enemies, they came south again, and again passed through the beautiful land of Tamaki. When they were staying with their .friends of Tamaki a son, Koroki, was born to Kalm-ununu, at Maungakiekie, arid to commemorate' this auspicious occasion a; totara tree was planted on the summit of the hill by the proud father. This tree and the conical top of the hill became known as Te totara-i-alnia, -was held sacred By. the people! Then Hawrikari passed / through the sacred mountain beyond Waitarai (Mount Esprumt)', on his warlike:mission.' against the drc'idedl Pusratn. who • was* overt/Tov.n. were peaceful: occasions ■■ for the people of Tamaki; but the long'peace: was soon to be broken. • -- • '..■.'"' ■

KA MATE. KA MATE. " H At the dawn of the eighteenth century that Wild stirring cry of battle— <

" Ka mate, I«i mate, i .' • ■■-■ Ka ' ora, -ha ora, . •/ j Tenei te tanjrata pohuruhu - .■■■-.. 1 Kara Koe e wbaka, white te ra ,j Hnpane, Kaupane! ' j Whiti te rai" ■ ' resounded through the quiet vales / of ! Tamaki as the people prcpaircd , for war. There. had grown up amongst them a chief, ] Kiwi. Tamaki, who lived in a strongly- \ fortified pa at Maungakiekie, and his mana j was great in the land. Over 180 . years ago he- was reigning in undisputed possession over Tamaki, and had great pas ' at.'Maungakiekie (One-tree Hill), Maungarei (Mount Wellington), Mangere, lhumatao, Onelmnga, Eemuera, Onialiu. Te Umoponga, Orakei, Kohimarama, Taurarua (.Bulge's Bay), Te Ton (Freeman's Bay), Rarotonga(Mounty Smart), Te Tatua (Three Kings), and _ Owair'uku (Mount Albert). But To Kiwi and his people, were born to war and bloodshed ; they lov ? cd fighting for fight- : ing's sake, and it was not. long before there was Trouble between different, tribes of the ancient- people.' Somewhere;.".-about 166 years ago now, the great warrior, tired of peace and plenty, and suffering from the quarrelsome disposition' engendered by ennui, set, off hunting heads, and surprised aud murdered a contingent of the tribe Te Taou,,who were first-cousins: to his own people. / .. •;■ ;> ~. ' • ' , . : , / In. their tights in. the Iva.tpa'ra country : 'the Ngatiwhatua. had had trouble with some of Te Kiwi's people, but" "these quarrels seemed to be merely local raids. When the Ngatiwhatua had properly established their maim in- the Kriipara their great chief Temu-pakilri died, and the tribes in tho neighbourhood, including Te Kiwi's people, were bidden to the tarigi. ' Te Kiwi at this time was the most powerful chief in the country. His Maungakiekie was considered the Gibraltar of the ancieuf people, and its 1 massive pa held a garrison of 4009, to say ! nothing of the outposts and other-pas. Ko ! was also noted for great and lavish hospitality, and he maintained an almost regal, | state; at the same time be loved fighting, ' and soon had bis tribe plunged into almost ' ceaseless wait*, in which they were generally • victors. Cannibal feasts became of almost' ! daily occurrence, and Te Kiwi at last gob ! to know no law but his .to. It was while 1 he -was thus at the height of his splendour that he and his people were; invited to the Nqatiwliatua tangi, aud then, to the shame of a warrior's memory be it said, he and his tribe attended with arm* concealed beneath their garments. They partook of, the splendid hospitality of the Ngatiwhatua, who sought- to even rival the great welcomes of To Kiwi himself, but when the. camp was asleep at night To .Kiwi and his band arose and cruelly'--iaarde're'd some 200 of their hosts. A year later those who had escaped from the massacre joined together in a great.band under Te Wahaakiaki and swore a; fearful oath of utn against trie Waiohua of Tamaki. At Titirangi trie first engagement took plaice. Te Kiwi had sounded his great " palm," or war trumpet, at. the. sacred totara, then about 150 years old. and gathered- m great force around him. and he aud his army marched to meet the Ngatiwluuu.i at Titirangi. where, after a long and 'dreadful struggle, the great' Kiwi was defeated, and driven back on bis Maringakiekie stronghold. The victorious Ngatiwhatua nude over to Tamaki Heads, but the people of Kiwi were too numerous to conquer, sine! the avengers returned 'to ! Ivaipara -for reinforcement:. pur-uwl by the i Waiohua nnd.=r Kiwi. But ii was n...<, long feffcrr the Waiohua, thinking the war ov<•:;, had if-hirned to Tamaki, before ihe Ngafi--wiiati'.? ■: : .t.h many more warrior, l were on the trail,-of utri again, and? this*-Time thev marched : straight on all the Waitakerei nils, thus leaving the. way clear for retreat straight back into.; Kaipara if necessary. : : They conquered the strongholds on the ranges, and then crossed over and ! captured: the pas' at Ma.nukau South Head. Kiwi was now like a demon in his wrath. He mustered the, flower and strength of all his -hapus and advanced his huge army straight from; Maungakie-.. kie. / behind Mauncawhan. across - > the Whan, t and over to the; Ni hot mm Ranges, ■ arid down to Paiuioa (Big Muddy Creek), where ho surprised the Ngatiwhatua,

who retreated up tb*>, .steep spur near the cret?k.'-. Kiwi foolishly followed, arid the, ,Ng»tiwlwtiw, tvjrniiig.. rushed ilown the ilype, aud oik* of the blocdiest fighls hi the annals of the ancient people took pfac«;-.' 'IV Kiwi was brained by -the chief of t-w Ngatiw'hatiw, and Kiwi's brother, Tokons,ir«, fell soon afiisr, the- battle b*fs«m« a. rout, ; the W.dohn*. were I;,/'.- ' mi thousands, and the stream ; ;i-/.v !>-,<*, spur i was red with . blood. Tor sled to | '.be great .stronghold of Maujigs,kiek!e, anil j tin; Ngatiwhatnri' lasted days on the i flesh '«'.'{ the sl\in. Then they i.>«rc<iid at. I "Miittng&ksekl?/ Horn Ortehup.ga,. vvtao they proceed*d )«y can?»»?.' and after .vy.fre fightirg I'.i'i'iued the outlying . j.<<s„ nn.j finally the stronghold of Te Totam-i-alnw. The remnants of the Waiohua fled through 'Hiiht.hu to lli,> Waikato sad I'apjkura, and thus was tin* vendetta complete. .-, j IX TilE REIGN OF TUPEIUfii , Some time later,, there seems but lit' v certainty as to the period, but /pfobab;v about -50 years later, a great chief nan-'.',' To Tuperiri reigned at ilaung.ik;ckk*. Tnc'iti«,M. seems a little confused M to his identity and ho has been variously described as a To Taou chief and as a chieftain of the Xgatiwhatua people. Apparently Xe Taou and Ngatiwlmtua were closely allied, it. indeed, the names did hot indicate the same tribe. For a period there was peace and then the vendetta, the. " utn" of the Maori, caused trouble between the rulers of Tamaki and the Ngatipaoa a.tul Ngatiihatu. About this time in J'.nance was formed between some of t.: 1 . U'aikato people ami the Ngatiwha 1 v*, and trien the Ngatipaoa had a "ha; .?«u of it for : a while. -'Still they carried on, aloujij the confines of Te Tupcriri's territory, a ,ortof border raiding, bju Te Tuperiris country was nr-ver very $ertoasly,threatened "and he was' still suprcnw at Maungakiekie pa over SO -years ago. But the glory of To Tuperiri was hurrying to a fall. The warlike Ngapuhi, who seemto have been the bulldogs of the race, had had traffic in the Bay of Islands district with pakelia strangers from across the sea, who brought, with them that instrument of evil the musket, before which the tribes not similn.rly armed were as grass before a scythe. Under their great leader, Uongi Ilea, the Nqapuhi crossed over to the Thames and marched on the pa at Totara. The garrison prepared to receive Ilongi with war dances and clubs and meres, but Hongi was in a big hurry ;>£id the Totara people were cleared off the face of the earth. The next victims were the Ngatipaoa people in Maiiiinaina pa, at Pannnue, where there was, a terrible slaughter. The Ngatiwhatna amd Te Taou, realising that their turn was coming, assembled together at To Helm (near the waterworks), and there was almost continuous war until some. 80 years aao. About"Bl years ago the remnants of Te Taou and Ngatiwhatna made their home at Okahu (Orakei). The next year Hongi laid the Kaipara waste, a?.id Apihai te Hawaii, grandson of Te Tuperiri, and the people at Okahu fled into the fastnesses of the Upper Waikato. leaving the whole of the great, rich lands of Tamaki deserted. :■ . //: , -. • * THE COMING OF THE PAKEHA. But the tide of war turned against the mighty: Ngapuhi people. ■"' They bad met their Waterloo, and the old residents began to drift back to their beloved Tamaki, and 70 years ago Ngatiwhatua and To Taou came back to the Waitemata and crept into the shore at Horotiu' or wind is now the bottom of Queen-street. Four years later •the Great White Queen was proclaimed sovereign;; over the Maori ; : people. Three years .later the historic battle-ground, for which so many tribes bad contended, Jlaungakiekie, the central ill of all, was acquired from the natives by Mr. Henry,;and eight years afterwards Dr. /Logan Campbell purchased it. holding the place until he gave it to the people, the noblest gift the colony has, ever known; It in a. fitting purpose, that of m national park, for tho ground that has been drenched with the blood of the ancient people; Every inch of. it has been fought, and oled' for. Its alopes aire- ter-lclii-i'd with old fortifications d&Cov •'ere'f with the peculiar little depressions that mark the old-time ovens used so often for the cooking of human flesh- Now, when the' ancient people dwell; in peace with each other and with tlie pakehas,' the historic battle-ground is a place for, peaceful enjbyme.it for all ; Mike, a stately pleasure ground - for all time. The clumps of tress, appearing in the distant as one; tree, that is such a landmark from so many parts of the isthmus, is n.*. it is true, the traditional totara which .was, there in Tuperiri's day and served .<,' as v a home beacon for him when returning from his many raids, and for his people when homeward bound alter fishing excursions in, the gulf, or on'the, Manukati, but still itwas planted by a raneitira of peace, the man who has given Maungakiekie to the people, and it serves its purpose and denotes the hill of Maungakiekie to the people, who now dwell in the laud of -Tamaki makau ran from theManukau to Rangitoto and from Otahuhu to the Waitakerei..