Art. XI.—Early History of Rangitikei, and Notes on the Ngati Apa Tribe. By T. W. Downes. [Read before the Wellington Philosophical Society, 6th October, 1909.] Summary of Contents. Chapter I.—Introduction—Ngati Apa district—Kura-haupo canoe—Table 1—Former inhabitants—Taniwha Tutae-poroporo—Hau's journey—Tamatea's travels—Custom known as uruuru-whenua—Tama-kopiri's wars and death—Table 2, showing Tamatea, Tama-kopiri, &c.—Journeyings of Ma-tangi—Table 3, showing the ancestor Ma-tangi, &c. Chapter II.—Apa-hapai-taketake's theft—Resulting troubles—Table 4, showing the time of Awa-tope—Residence at Roto-a-ira—Various fights around Roto-a-ira—Ngati Apa extending south—Hau-iti—Fighting relating to Hau-iti—Table 5, showing Hau-iti's position. Chapter III.—Whare-pu-rakau's time—Defeat of Ngati Wahine Tribe—Punaki-ao—Invasion of Awa-rua by Ngati Tama-wahine—Defeat of invaders—Dispute between Tahuna and Whare-pu-rakau—Tahuna's defeat—Whare-pu-rakau's death—Whanganui's invasion and defeat at Moa-whango—Tini-o-te-kotiri fight at the Potaka Pa—Resulting troubles—Dispute between Rangi-pa-whai-tiri and wives—Tukai-ora's capture—Table No. 6—Death of Te Kiore and Hoko-o-te-rangi—Capture of Kiriweka—Series of engagements between Ngati Apa and Ngati Hau-iti—Tu-whare—Te Rau-paraha expedition—Te Mawai's visit to Awa-rua—The Kai-inanga fight—The bewitching of Ngati Hau-iti by Ngati Apa. Chapter IV.—The Ngati Rau-kawa migration known as Heke Karihi-tahi—Death of Ika-whaka-ariki—The bewitching by Rangi-te-muri—Defeat of Rangi-tane at Turaki-awatea—Rangi-tane's stratagem—Murder of Rangi-hau-tu—Defeat of Rangitane at Harakeke Pa—The Tuke-a-maui fight at Pari-kino—Te Hina, of the Kauae Subtribe, causes trouble—Custom called tunutunu ki te ahi—Civil fighting at Awa-mate—The murder of Kakaho. Chapter V.—Te Hakeke revenges the death of Rangi-hau-tu—Table 7, showing the ancestor Kauae—Capture of Kaewa and Ngoki—Skirmish with Mua-upoko—More civil troubles—Te Rau-paraha settles on Kapiti—Capture of Te Hakeke—Defeat of Ngati Apa by Rangi-tane—Murder of Hatoa by Rangi-tane—Ngati Apa's revenge. Chapter VI.—Battle of Manga-toetoe—Battle of Taku-te-rangi—The third Rau-kawa heke (Heke Mai-raro)—Hao-whenua fight—Birth of Kawana Hunia—Oriori or lullaby—Te Hakeke a peacemaker—Kohuru-po battle—Table 8, showing Taka-rangi's descent—Death of Te Ao-kehu—Rau-kawa heke (Houhou rongo ki Hao-whenua)—Final skirmishes. Illustrations. Plate IX.—Sketch-map illustrating history, and showing most of the places named. Plate X.—Sketch-map from very old Maori sketches, showing early occupation of lower Whanga-ehu and Turakina Valleys by Ngati Apa people. Plate XI.—A photograph of an old plan of Kai-kokopu Lake. The chief pa stood on the narrow neck between the lagoons, and is interesting as being the last place in the district where remnants of ancient palisading can be seen; the lines of stumps running into the lake still being in good preservation. Chapter I. It has been my good fortune to have the curtain of obscurity of the longago past slightly drawn aside for me, and so to gain a glance into the dim and fast-fading history of our Island at a time when it was to us an enchanted, dreamlike land. Few people have had so much written about them, in so comparatively few years, too, as the Natives of New Zealand; but there is something fascinating in the old Maori who sits half-dreaming, conjuring up those other days when fighting and feasting were almost all that was worth living for, and telling us of them in stories handed down by his forefathers.