492 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



thence through Kopiokaitangata, or Cannibal Gorge, at the 

 head of the Maruia Eiver, into the valley of the Grey, whence 

 they ran down the coast to the main settlements from the 

 mouthof that river to Jackson's Bay. At other times they passed 

 from the Conway and other points on the East Coast through 

 Hanmer Plains to the valley of the Ahaura, a tributary of the 

 Grey, and so to the same localities. On the line of the former 

 route Mr. Travers's shepherds have frequently found stone 

 axes and many other objects. During their journeys to the 

 coast through these rugged scenes the war-parties lived entirely 

 on eels, wekas {Ocijdromus australis), and kakapos {Stringops 

 habroptilus), which at that time were numerous in the ranges ; 

 whilst on their return, after a successful raid, human flesh was 

 carried by the slaves they had taken, and the latter were not 

 infrequently killed in order to afford a banquet to their cap- 

 tors. During these expeditions large quantities of greenstone, 

 both in rough blocks and in well-fashioned weapons— the art of 

 fashioning these being especially known to the West Coast 

 natives — were often obtained if the approach of the invaders 

 was not discovered in time to permit the inhabitants to conceal 

 themselves and their treasures. And it was the accumulated 

 wealth of many years which Eauparaha expected to acquire in 

 case he should prove victorious in his projected attack upon 

 Eerewhaka and his people. In one of the expeditions the 

 famous Te Pehi was treacherously killed while on a visit to a 

 pa : not, however, before he had secured some line specimens 

 of South Island art, as his grandson "Wi Parata, of Waikanae, 

 formerly a member of Pai'liament, has now in his possession 

 two beautiful meres of inanga, besides other objects. His 

 friendly visit was to obtain some presents of pounamu, including 

 a mere for himself, though why he should take a hundred men 

 with him on that journey, the place being a hundred miles from 

 Kaikoura, where the main force remained, is not quite clear. 

 When finally the disaster overtook Ngaitahu at Kaiapoi Pa by 

 which their power was broken it is said that they threw great 

 quantities of greenstone into the deep swamp behind the pa, 

 whence it has never been recovered. 



West Coast Beanch Expedition. 

 The narrative would be incomplete without a brief refer- 

 ence to this. The invaders, under Niho and Takerei, passed 

 down the coast from Cape Farewell by land, scaling the other- 

 wise almost impassable cliffs by means of ladders, which they 

 inade of climbing-plants. The numerous rivers — some of 

 great volume — were crossed by means of rafts and of the 

 canoes found on their banks. The local tribes were massacred 

 wherever found, save such as were able to find refuge in the 

 dense forests. Thus the country was conquered as far as 



