THE SKETCHER.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1183, 2 November 1894, Page 12

THE SKETCHER.

TE WHANGA-NUI-A-TARA.

WELLINGTON IN PRE-PAKEHA DAYS. No. X. (Continued). Written for the New Zealand Moil — Copyright. (By Elsdon Best ) “Tena : The tale I am now about to relate to you is the story of the great battle at Waiorua on the island of Kapiti, which battle is known among us as Te Whakapaitai. It was there that the tribes of the south made their last gteat attempt to overcome the Ngatitoa, but the victory of that fight fell to us, for who could withstand Te Rauparaha and the Tainui hapus. It may .be that I cannot tell you of all these things, for. at times I do not remember them, being now an old man and afflicted with the ills of age. I have already told you how we slew the people of this land at Horowhenua, at Waikanae, at Takapu-kai-ngarara and many other places. Also how we drove back the Muaupoko, Rangitane, Ngatiupokoiri, Ngatimotuahi, .Te Tini-o-Te Parakiori and many other tribes to the mountains, where they lived like wild dogs in the bush. But after a time we became weakened by constant fighting ■and then these people attacked us at Waikanae and killed many of the Ngatitoa. After that we went to Kapiti and the Muaupoko overran the country ■ between Paekakariki and Manawatu. Then these people held a great meeting at Waikanae and the chiefs of many tribes were there, and they resolved to send forth the word cf that meetiug to all the tribes, that they might collect their warriors to attack Te Rauparaha. Thus it was that this great army came from all parts of the world and met together between Waikanae and Otaki. There came the tribes of the north and of the south, of the east and of the west. Friend, the number of those people were like unto the sands which drift upon the sea-shore. v

*To Paid here speaks a la Maori. The attacking’ force consisted of about ■warriors.

“There Cains the Ngatihau of Whanganui under their chiefs Turoa, Paetaha* Te Anaua, Rangi-to-whata, Te Banglwhakarurua and Te Kuru Kaanga. There came Ngatiruanui of the north under TuRaukawa, Te Hanataua and Te Matangi-o-Rupo. There also were seen the Muaupoko marshalled under the chiefs Kotuku, Te Rangihiwinui, Tanguru, Maru, Tawhati and Tumata. Then the Rangitane under Maliuri, Tutai, Te RaMaui, Kai mokopuna, Tukihongi and Te Awa-kautere. Rank behind rank were seen the Ngatiapa with their chiefs Marumrru, Te Ilakeke, TUraiigapito } Papaka, Tahataha, and Te Ahuru. There also came the Ngatiapa-ki-te-ra-to and other hapus of the South Island, together with the Ngati-Ira and Ngatikahungunu. But we of Ngatitoa were but as a handful of dry leaves to be scattered far and wide by the great storm.which encircled the land. We were but the survivors of Te Kiriwera, Ngatikoata, Ngatihangia, Ngatihaumia, sub-tribes of Ngatitoa. Even our chiefs were away at Rangatir& when the enemy attacked us, and we had but few leaders including Te Tipi, Te Rangataiki and Tutepakihirangi.- So the multitudes of the land came against us at Kapiti. “Now, O Son ! Hearken to me. The land and the sea were dark with men/and the renowned fighting chiefs- of many tribes were to be seen in their ranks. This great arihy approached Kapiti in the darkness of iiigkt and' the first warning that we received Skas as they landed at dawn of day. Some of our people who lived on the hillside heard the sound of their paddles as they drew near, and they cried out in -warning—* E puta' hi waho 1 Te whakaariki ! Te wbakaariki 1’ We rushed out of our houses and down to the beach to repel our enemies, then on the shores of lone Kapiti there was fought the great battle of Whakapaitai. E Tama 1 The multitudes of the land were upon us. Far out upon the ocean we saw the myriads of canoe®. So numerous were they that the sun could not shine upon the waters. We saw our fierce enemies of many a former battle hastening to obtain payment for their people whom we had slain. We saw the raukura and the toroa, the red and white plumes of the north and of the south. We saw the two long lines of war canoes closing in from Wailianae and Otaki. 0 Son! These were indeed the thousands of the land, while we of Ngatitoa were but as the rau-hokowhitu of olden days. But the omens were propitious and the gods of the Maori gave us strength to, do great deeds. Who knows of the' mettangohi of that battle, for each.warrior ofNgatitoa was assailed by ■ many , men.c And then we heard the wild cry of the woman Pararaha —‘ Tikarotia te marama ! Tikarotia, tikarotia, tikarotia te inarama 1’ As we heard the words of this woman we strove to slay the chiefs, and Te Ahuru of Ngatiapa was the first to fall, but the pehi (second person slain) of that battle was the brave woman Pararaha. (You - s'6'e that, girl yonder by the whata? That is Takune, the descendant of Pararaha the pehi of Te Whakapaitai). Then. the enemy charged us with hoarse cries of defiance, and took prisoner the child Tawlie of Ngatitoa, who was not killed, but was saved by Tu-te-pourangi of the Ngatiapa-of-the-Setting-Sun. Wetriedio capture Turoa, the great chief of Ngatihau, but he remained in his canoe and so we failed. So charged the enemy upon us and so we drove them back upon the water’s edge. So fought the braves of Ngatikoata of Tainui, and so the NgatiHaumia upheld their tribal motto—* Ko Haumia Toa .’ So vainly fought - the survivors of Ngati-Ira under their chiefs Te KekereDgu and Tauunuunu. Even so we of Tainui fought for the mana of our tribe and behold ! Ere long we;- the warriors of Ngatitoa, drove the legions of the whole world back into the sea from whence they came. Dark were the shores of Kapiti with the bodies of the slain— Ta Ngatitoapai ! Friend ! that was how we destroyed the multitudes of the South beneath the shining sun. 0 Son !. .. My words to you are ended." Again the old warrior relapses into silience and gazing before him across the rippling waters, murmurs to himself some old memories of by-gone - days. The oracle of Ngatitoa lias spoken for the day and so, with the ancient farewell of his race sounding in my ears, I retrace my way across the sunlit sands and leave the survivor of Waiorua to his Own thoughts. So failed the last effort of the southern tribes to regain their mana. When the tidings [of the Ngatitoa victory at Kapiti reached the northern tribes many hekes of the Ngatiawa and Ngatiraukawa tribes, with portions of Taranaki, Ngatiruanui, Ngatirangatahi and Ngati-Maru-Wharanui, came south to locate on the newly-acquired lands. The Ngatiraukawa were firm allies of Te Rauparaha, but the turbulent Ngatiawa soon conr menced to show the cloven hoof, and brought upon the land a series of quarrels, battles and sieges, which only ended in 1839, when Te Atiawa were attacked at Te Kuititanga pa at Waikanae by the Ngatiraukawa of Otaki. The - .pa> was attacked at dawn, and some few hours afterwards the remnant of the Otaki tema were flying for their lives up the beach towards Otaki, leaving some seventy of their warriors on the field of battle, Ib* 3 was the last intertribal fight in the south. After a time there came yet another 1 tribe of invaders, surely this must be the last, a strange tribe who are neither of. I Tainui nor yet of Takitumu extraction, but who appear from the great ocean ot • Kiwa in huge can9© s i such as the gods o

old might have used. This new tribe is composed of various hapus. Some of them* men of strange customs and great daring, live in their great canoes upon the waters and employ their time in slaying the monsters of the deep. Some abide Upon the land and trade with the Maori, bringing strange articles of clothing and many other wonderful things such as the Maori had never before seen. Yet another hcipu scatter themselves over the land and cause it to bear abundantly of strange products. A truly marvellous arid' yet withal an eccentric tribe, who • bring'with them the Whakapono, to teach the blessings of peace on earth and goodwill to man, and also guns and powder to enable the Maori to destroy each other ■with unprecedented ferocity and rapidity. Who also bring with them rum and - various new and deadly diseases, all of which are 'calculated to assist greatly in the ,work of colonisation. These extraor-

dinary people are called by the Maori --■-ipcilceha, that is, fairies or beings from another world. But as this is essentially a pre-pakeha chronicle we here enquire further into the origin and history of these singular migrants. • And now it behoves me to close these sketches of Te Whanga-nui-a-Tara in Prepakeha Days. For I have already exceeded the limit originally assigned to this series, so much so that I fear co meet the gaze of the keen-eyed autocrat of the editorial sanctum sanctorum , or the reproachful glances of those who have reproduced these articles with such remarkable accuracy, but who, as I know full well,Tove not the i‘alio case and the awful masteries of the reo Maori. Such then is a meagre account of the Harbour of Tara and the people thereof before the advent of Europeans. Imperfect though it be, it will yet servG to give some idea of what this land has seen, in the long centuries of past barbarism during which the Polynesian held sway in Aotearoa. Collected from the best native authorities, these notes may also form a basis on which to build up a more complete and connected history of the Land of Tara. . What says the Mejicano ? “ Barba bicn remojada, medio rapada " —A thing well begun is half finished. And if I have, in these pages, spoken disparagingly of the Maori atu%, then do I say with Herodotus-— 1 “ In thus speaking of them may I meet with indulgence both from gods and heroes/' Not a few lessons may be learnt from the customs, language and traditions of a neolithic .race. Repulsive though many of such things may appear to the casual observer, yet to those who possess the true love of knowledge which comes to the thinking mind, there is opened up before them a vast field of research in, which they,will not only experience the keen delights of intellectual pleasure, but also discover many proofs of the ennob- . ling theory of human evolution, as opposed to the degrading hypothesis of degeneration. V When I show this veracious chronicle to the kaumatuas, who have imparted to me much of the matter contained therein, 1 know well what remark it will elicit. " For^those old warriors will listen in wonder and exclaim, “He Fakeha !" Which same two words contain a world of meaning. , L . While to those who despise the lesson of the past, and disbelieve in the great law of human progress, I would reply with this, idhakatauki, “ A descendant of Mofcai will yet journey over the sands of Hakerekere.’.’