Tales of a Maori Grandfather.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VII, Issue 1078, 23 April 1880, Page 2

Tales of a Maori Grandfather.

Uenuka and Wheta (Concluded.) To carry out hia threat against Wheta, Uenuku ordered his people to refasten the top sides of his canoes, and make other preparations for bringing the coming strife to a successful issue. He was eager for an immediate attack, but at the suggestion of his son, Whatiua, hostilities were delayed until the incoming kumara crop had been stored and karaka gathered and made fat for food. Whatiua then started overland with seventy men to attack Wheta at his place at Rangikapita, the mam body of warriors remaining behind with Uenuku until the result of the proposed expedition was known. When Whatiua was starting, his father urged him and his band of warriors to prove themselves men of courage, to be terrible in battle, swift in pursuit, and to spare no one but Wheta's daughter Paimahutanga, whom he wanted for a wife. In order to take Wheta by surprise, Whatiua followed along by the mountain ranges and by a circuitous route, and did not arrive near Wheta's place until nightfall of the eighth day after leaving home.

He then laid quietly by until midnight, when he and his party surrounded Wheta's house which was known by the name of the Kahurangi. The priest Hapopo, who was in the house, was overheard questioning his god the Hnnawa. He asked the god if a warparty was near, and the god from the top of the house replied " There is no war-party. Why should Turuturu wage war with Tahito-o-te-rangi ?" This reply satisfied the priest, and the other inmates who, not suspecting any immedate danger, went to sleep again. Towards morning Whatiua ordered the door of the house to be secured, and waiting until broad daylight, he and his party rushed into the house, and attacked the inmates. When the priest Hapopo was struck by the'patu, he exclaimed " The god is a deceiver, and he lurked Hapopo to his death." The surprise was so complete and the attack so sudden, that those in the house had no opportunity of defending themselves, aud were all killed with the exception of Paimahutanga and Wheta, who succeeded in making his escape unharmed. Hence the proverb " Wheta's flight saved him." Whatiua and his party then returned home, taking their captive with them. Uenuku then mustered all his forces, and embarked in the canoes to make a second attack on Wheta. Besides the ordinary weapons of war, Uenuku took his ancestors two mats with him, the Rangituitui and the Rangmupapa. On arrival off Wheta's place at Matekotai and Porangahau, Ueunuku ordered the anchors of the canoes to be dropped overboard from the stern, and then paddled closer in towards shore. In the meantime Wheta had also made his preparations to go out and meet Uenuku on the water. Coming to close quarters a general melee took place. Of the enemy Patua-kiterangi was captured and killed by Uenuku, who then gave the signal to his people to quickly haul off shore by their stern anchors. Whilst this manoeuvre was being executed, Uenuku cut his captives heart out, and threw it on the fire, which he then covered with his ancestors' mats, repeating an incantation. A pitchy darkness set' in, under corer of which (Jenuku'a party hauled theirj cauoes out of reach of the battle, the result of which wa3 that as Wheta and his people were not able to distinguish friend from foe. They" attacked one another with the greatest fury, slaughtering such numbers that the sea waa reddened with the blood of the slain. Uenuku, after waiting a while, uncovered his tire and daylight -being reßtored, and Wheta discovering the trap tiuit he and his people had been led into ordered a retreat to the shore, being closely pursued by Uenuku's patty who on landing attacked and killed the survivors, Wheta falling by Uenuku's own hand. This great seafight is kno w n by the name of the Rukumea, and also as the Katorua, because the flea was made red with human blood. The place where Uenuku landed is known as the Moanawipu and the land battle as Tongarepare. Now the Paimahutanga here mentioned became the fourth wife of Ueuuku ; their son Ruetapn waa the great grandfather of the brothers Porourangi and Tahu, the fowner of whom is the progenitor of thef Ngati-porou,-and, the latter of the N|sai§ahu, who migrated from hero to the Middle Island. Uenuku's first wife was Rangatiro, whose Bon was Kahutia-te-rangi, from whom there are eight generations to Rongowhakaata, the progenitor of the Poverty Bay tribes. By his second wife, Ai-tu-ma-tangata, Uenuku had Whatiua, known as Whatiuataka-maeae, whose son intermarried with the Ngatiporou branch. To his third wife was bor.u Ira, known by the nickname of Ira-kaiputahi, who migrated to this country in company with Paoa and others in the canoe Horouta, and is the progenitor of the Ngatira tribe.