THOUGHTS ABOUT THE WARS Certain questions persistently arise in connection with the Ruapekapeka battle: Firstly, why is it that there is no written record of where the soldiers fell, where they were buried, and the number of the dead? My informants said that they were buried in one L-shaped grave, head to head, below the position where the troops were camped. Secondly, why do all written records end abruptly, giving little or no Wanaunga or other details of the one and only encounter which took place of Ruapekapeka? Some of my informants declared that by the time the soldiers arrived back to their camp the main body of Maori warriors on Kawiti's side had already left for their homes. If this then be true, the Maoris who were left behind may have done the burying, hence their more detailed knowledge of this affair. The soldiers certainly left a lot of cannon-balls behind them on the camp site. Many years afterwards a quantity was found in a gully near by. Others declared that the Maoris followed a long way after the retiring soldiers, but did not relish the idea of shooting them in the back. However, stories such as these, lacking detailed accounts of some actual happenings, cannot be relied upon. In connection with the wounded, a story is told of one, Te Whata, who was wounded in the groin. He was carried to and bathed in a spring some distance to the south of Ruapekapeka Pa. The spring is called Tou-wai-nou (towai—tou to dip, wai—water) to commemorate this event. It will be admitted, because of the lack of information to the contrary that the pa was breached by the heavy pounding it had been subjected to. It would be difficult at this time to estimate the extent of the damage, but the pa was still in the fight. The Maoris had not considered abandoning it. The soldiers on the other hand, realising that it had still plenty of sting in its tall, and probably realizing too that the lay of the country did not favour an assault, decided on the method adopted, that of attacking on Sunday after first spying out the ground. To think even for one moment that Kawiti's men outside would consider clearing out into the bush without a fight, would be entirely false. If anything had happened to the old leader they would have fought to the last man. There is no support for stories that the Maoris were driven into the forest.

THE RETURN OF PEACE This battle however, brought to a close the war in the North. Each tribe had had its share of the fighting. Kororareka had been pakehas' territory, to Okaihau, Heke's: to Ohaeawai, Pene Taui's: ending at Ruapekapeka, Kawiti's choice. To continue would have meant a struggle to the point of extermination. Reckoning up the costs in lives lost during the fighting every one appeared to have arrived at the same conclusion, that an honourable peace should now be concluded. It may be of interest to relate here a story written by an ex-soldier in his diary. This story concerns the emmissary who on behalf of the Governor, asked Kawiti whether he had had enough of the fighting. The reply was “If you have had enough I have had enough, but if you have not had enough then I have not had enough either”. The pakeha replied, “You are a noble sort of a New Zealand savage”. The peace which followed was an honourable one with no lands confiscated. It no doubt brought happiness to the Maoris of the Bay. War had come to an end and men and women could return to their homes and families. Those who had been kept in readiness for any further fighting would now be disbanded. So Kawiti went to Whangarei to return one of the tribes who came to help—the Waiariki. One Waiariki warrior, Tuhaia, had lost his life at Ohaeawai. The meeting took place at Pukepato, a pa near Glenbervie on the road to Nganguru. This must have been an event of no little importance for the local tribes. For, was not this the Kawiti who answered ‘Yes’ to Whareumu's appeal for help against his enemies in the past? Was it not right that he should return the death of Tuhaia? “Ka tika”—quite right.

OTHER MEN'S QUARRELS During the meeting it is said that Kawiti uttered the now famous saying “E te whanau, i tu au ki te riri ki te atua o te po, a, kahore au i mate. Na reira, i tenei ra takahia te kino ki raro i o koutou waewae. Kei takahia e koutou nga papapounamu a koutou tupuna e takoto nei i te moana. Tirohia atu nga tuatea o te moana. Hei poai pakeha koutou i muri nei. Kia mau kite whakapono. Waiho mate kakati o te namu ki te wharangi o te pukapuka, ka tahuri atu ai. Whai hoki, te tangata nana i tatai te kupenga, waiho mana ano a tuku, mana ano e kume”. “My beloved people. I have stood before the God of Darkness, and I was not destroyed. Therefore, from this day, trample hatred under your feet. Do not dishonour your ancestors' peace memorials in greenstone that lie on many seas. Observe the white objects of the ocean. You shall be pakeha boys. Be firm to retain religion, turning only when the sandfly bites upon the page of the book. Also, whosoever weaves a net let him set it himself, and let him draw it in himself.”