MAORI MEMORIES

Wairarapa Daily Times, 18 November 1935, Page 4

MAORI MEMORIES

(By J.H.S. for “The Daily Times.”) SUBTERFUGE. The capture of Kapiti Island from his enemy tribes, the Rangitane, Muaupoko, and Ngatiapa, was the great ambition of Rauparalia’s long life of savage conquest. His only objective being the exclusive privilege it would offer in obtaining firearms from the increasing numbers of whale ships which made it their headquarters. Thus he hoped to outwit and overthrow the Northern enemies who had long since been fully aryied by the whalers in the Bay of Islands. To avoid them, Rauparaha and his relative Rangi haeata made a leisurely march of 300 miles, killing and eating those he could not conquer by an appearance of, friendship, thus leaving no prospective allies for his old enemies from Waikato, it they decided to follow him down the West Coast. Among the subterfuges m emergency necessitated by his limited army when attacked, this Napoleon of the Maoris used the young women dressed and armed as men to induce an attack, when his men fell upon them in the rear and silently clubbed every man as he was rushing to an easy-looking victory. Ilis wondrous acts of friendship were merely anticipations of future favours, and tiio arranged marriage between 3ns great ally Rangilnaeata and the Ngatiapa beauty Pikinga was merely to serve as a friendly tribal buffer in case of pursuit by the well-armed Waikatos. Knowing of Rauparaha’s great need of canoes, the Mua unoko (beheaded tribe), living on the islands and shores of Papai tonga and Horo wlienua lakes, decided to tempt him to his doom by a pretended present of their fleet. Rangilmeata saw hostility, in their pretence of hospitality,* but Rauparaha had no time for omens. The finest dwelling on the outer walls of the pa was at his disposal, and there ho slept soundly. Before dawn he hoard the dull thud of a club oud o cry, when he promptly darted through the raupo wall and made for the forest. For the present his dream of a fleet vanished in the mist: but his resources seemed to be without limit. Failure comes only to him who anticipates it.