DowNES. — Earlij History of Rangitikei. 107 



The next item in the chain of events was another heke, which the narrator 

 affirms took place before the battle known as Hao-whcnua, which was 

 fought at Pakakutu, near Otaki, in 1833 or early in 1834:. The description 

 of the journey was obtained from one of those who took part in it, as also 

 was the previous one recorded. So the story may be given for the most 

 part in our friend's own words. 



" Wai-kato came down, a great migTation of eight hundred strong. We 

 came by way of Taupo, and joined the Turakina River at its head-waters, 

 and were two days travelling down-stream. Then we struck over to the 

 Rangi-tikei, and at Wai-tuna, on the farther side of the river, we caught 

 Makere-rua, Moekau, and others of the Ngati Apa. Before this, when 

 travelling from the Turakina Valley to Pou-rewa, at the mouth of the Manga- 

 raupi, we found other people of the same tribe, whom we caught, and carried 

 along with us to Kapiti. They were Tai-hapara and Mohi. Further on, 

 at the Whaka-moe-takapau bush, we captured Tumata-whiti and others. 

 They were busy preserving birds when we surprised and captured them. 

 This man Tumata-whiti was a sorcerer. His own wife said he was an 

 aki-taraiti " [probably tliis word means " firelight " : ahi = fire, taraiti = 

 Maori mode of pronouncing " light "]. " So we killed him, and took the 

 woman along with us. At Kiwitea we took Te Kiore prisoner ; but Kaka- 

 raia, Pouri, and others escaped. Afterwards, when we reached Kapiti, we 

 released Kiore, and sent him back to assemble the hapu for the purpose of 

 making an alliance with them. At Kai-kokopu " [one of the numerous 

 lagoons lying on the sand between the lower Rangi-tikei and Foxton districts, 

 about a mile from the sea, now known to sportsmen as Hunia's Lake] " Te 

 Kiore found Te Hakeke, who acquiesced in the proposal. Te Kiore then 

 came down the Rangi-tikei to Parew^a-nui and other places. The tribes 

 first met at Kai-kokopu, where the Ngati Rau-kawa chiefs met Te Hakeke, 

 and the alliance was made. 



" Soon after we commenced our joiirney down the Turakina Valley we 

 came upon a hunting-party capturing and preserving birds. Of these we 

 took ten prisoners, one of the principal captives being Amiria, the wife of 

 Hirea. Also, at Manga-raupi, by the Pourewa Stream — that is, between 

 the Tutae-nui and Pou-rewa streams — we took six more of the Ngati Apa, 

 who were also preserving birds when we came upon them. 



" We came out on to the river-beach Kokako-tahi, and travelled along 

 the seaside to Otaki, from which place we sent a messenger back to Hakeke, 

 who came and joined us, and after that came the fight at Hao-whenua. 

 Immediately after that fight we returned to Wai-kawa, fifteen miles from 

 Otaki, and we stayed there for some time. WTaile we were living there we 

 heard that Hakeke had concentrated the Ngati Apa at Parewa-nui, so we 

 went along to that place and found a pa built, where a great number of the 

 Ngati Apa were residing with Hakeke. We were then four hundred strong. 

 Nepia's pa was on the other side of the Rangi-tikei, opposite to Parewa-nui. 

 The Ngati Rau-kawa went into it and occupied it bv force. This would be 

 about the year 1830 " [1833]. 



We went straight on from Parewa-nui to Tu-rangi-wai-kani, on the 

 other side of the Manuka bush inland " [an old pa on the flat below the 

 Bull's racecourse]. " We went there for food, as the plantations of the Ngati 

 Apa were very extensive. Tu-rangi-wai-kani was then a very large settle- 

 ment, about the same size as Putiki of the present day (1875). We stayed 

 there for fully a month, the prisoners we had taken staying with us. Some 

 of them we had returned to their tribes previous to Hao-whenua. 



