398 Transactions. — Miscellaneotis. 



must often have caused the besieged party to suffer great 

 torture, and possibly to capitulate or surrender, in which 

 case the conquered warriors would be mostly killed and eaten, 

 and the women and children be carried away as slaves to the 

 victors. 



The site of this pa is near a track known as Marshall's 

 Crossing, named after the first European owner of Eakaraoana 

 — the Eev. Mr. Marshall, who actually kept a school for boys 

 in this out-of-the-way place. 



On questioning some Maori shearers at a later date as to 

 the history of this pa they referred the question to an old man 

 who was employed at the wool-table. He replied in Maori, 

 which was interpreted by one of the others to me in English. 

 The story was this : The dwellers in this pa were relatives 

 of Maoris living at Moteo — a distance of some ten miles. 

 Another tribe of Maoris came one day from the north, by 

 way of Titiokura and Pohui, and, taking the dwellers in the pa 

 by surprise, killed them all or otherwise disposed of them. 

 Shortly after the people from Moteo started on a journey to 

 visit the pa, being unaware of the fate of their friends. As 

 the land in those days was covered with a dense growth of 

 fern, tutu, and manuka scrub, the stony bed of the river was, 

 especially during the warmer months of the year, the easier 

 line to travel. As is the Maori custom, when these travellers 

 neared the pa they commenced to search the likely places for 

 eels, so that they might arrive with a present of acceptable 

 food ; and presently they were horrified by seeing the water 

 blood-stained, and further on they came across the dead 

 bodies of some of the people of the pa, which had been thrown 

 over the cliff. Upon this the visiting party fled in the greatest 

 terror. 



Art. XLIX. — A Maori Earthioork Fortification. 

 By Taylor White. 



[Bead before the Haukc's Bay Philosophical Institute.] 



The site of this remarkable work is close to the small 

 township of Herbertville, and to the south side of the Wainui 

 Eiver. A small but deep and sluggish stream here joins the 

 river, and together they enclose a considerable semicircular 

 space. This partly enclosed piece of ground would seem to 

 have been selected by a pai'ty of Maoris as a place of refuge 

 in times of danger, in case of an assault from others of their 

 race ^^ith whom they had a blood-feud or vendetta. 



