DowNES. — Early History of Rangitihei. 91 



" At Otairi, close to Ohingaiti, on the river-flats, some of Hakaraia's 

 people were killed — namely, Rangi-kau, Kahu-aki, and others. Payment 

 was obtained at Whaka-rau-wai, on the other side of the Rangi-tikei River, 

 where the chiefs Ko-pare, Te Marama, and others were killed. The war- 

 party then crossed the river to the west side of Rangi-tikei, and there Moe- 

 roa "called out, ' Who can reach up to heaven ? ' Te Ope answered, ' I can ' ; 

 and he straightway put in a post as a sign to stop all quarrels (probably 

 meaning that nothing could be gained by incessant fighting, and a better 

 way to reach the desired goal would be to make peace). As a result of this 

 fighting Ngati Tama fled from the district, and some settled at Kai-inanga,. 

 outside of the Rangi-tikei borders ; but before doing so some of them went 

 to Oroua and there killed Pourau. 



" When they had settled at Kai-inanga, Moe-roa, Avho belonged half to 

 Ngati Apa, and was there before they came, became alarmed, and thought,. 

 ' Perhaps these people will become strong and take my land ' ; so he 

 gathered his people, and fell on the Ngati Tama at Kai-inanga, and killed 

 Rere-mai, Pokai-kaka, and Te Oti, as well as a great number of the people. 

 Tahataha made a prisoner of Hine-iti, whom he saved alive." 



So ends Kemp's version of the Kai-inanga fight ; but the real cause 

 seems to have been infringement of the sacred law of tapu. A chief named 

 Poto died (Poto's wife Koipoa was Hori Kii\gi's sister), and, in order to 

 have his head properly preserved, a man named Hia-kai cut it ofi and com- 

 menced operations upon it. While so engaged he was strictly tapu, and 

 before this was removed by the tohungas he was accused of having fed 

 himself with his own hands. Being unable to clear himself from the charge, 

 both he and a man named Te Hopu were killed at Otawiri by Ngati Hau-iti. 

 Te Hopu was not under the tapu at the time, but, as he warned Hia-kai, he 

 was in some way mixed up in the quarrel, and had to pay the penalty with 

 his life. As both men were connected with Ngati Apa, this tribe sent Te 

 Ahuru to the pa where the Ngati Hau-iti and Ngati Tama were camped, 

 on the pretext that he was the bearer of huia-feathers for the chief Pou-kaka. 

 But his visit was a mere blind — he went to spy out the weak places of the 

 pa ; and when he returned with his report to the Ngati Apa they attacked 

 in full force, and the battle of Kai-inanga ensued, in which the combined 

 tribes were badly beaten with great slaughter. A fuller and better account 

 of Te Ahuru's visit to the pa was related to me by Whatahoro, who said, — 



" Te Ahuru's wife was in the pa before the attack, and, as he had 

 previously arranged a call with her, he an-ived at the place in advance of the 

 Ngati Apa force, and when night fell he whistled across the gully for her 

 to gTD to him. As he continued whistling the people of the pa said, ' Listen 

 to the wekas — surely bad weather is approaching ' ; and they thought no 

 more, but turned over and went to sleep. When they were all asleep, 

 Hine-rua, Te Ahuru's wife, quietly went out to meet her husband, and when 

 they met he said to her, ' Tell me which is the weakest part of the pa, and 

 what do the people intend doing to-morrow.' She replied, ' The only unpro- 

 tected part is by way of te paepae {i.e., place of public convenience), which 

 is quite unguarded. And to-morrow the people divide into three parts, 

 one party of men going to dig fern-root, another going to the river to catch 

 eels, and another, of women, going to the bush to gather hinau-berries.' 



" Then Te Ahuru returned to his people, and showed them all these 

 things ; and on the morrow the Ngati Apa taua went round— first to the 

 party who were down at the river engaged at their eel-spearing, whom 

 they surprised and killed ; then on to the place where the fern-root-digging 



