DowNES. — Early History of Rangitikei. 113 



After tliis a war-party from Wai-kato came down under Te Horita, of 

 Ngati Wha-naunga,* but in the meantime the Ngati Apa who had scattered 

 before the Ngati Toa guns had come back to their own places. They fought 

 Wai-kato at the Te Ara Pa, where for a time Ngati Apa had some measure 

 of success, but in the end they were worsted. 



After Hao-whenua and Kohuru-po, came another hekc from Taupo, the 

 last of which we have any details. The journey was described by the same 

 native that narrated the " Kariri-tahi " journey, and is as follows : " After 

 we returned from Kapiti we remained a long time at Taupo, and then came 

 down again after Hao-whenua. We came down by the Mokai Patea road, 

 mustering live hundred strong. At Mokai Patea a few of the Ngati Tama 

 met us, and came on with us to Kawa-tau. We travelled overland this 

 time, and did not canoe down the river, but travelled the track by the river, 

 calling at Te Pounga, Otara and Mako-hine, Te Pohue, and Te Ana. Near 

 here we found the whole of the Ngati Apa living in two separate fighting- 

 pas, put up in defence of Whanga-nui. We had heard of the death of Taka- 

 rangi at Whanga-ehu, and found they had thrown these pas up in conse- 

 quence of an expected attack. Theja- principal chiefs with them were 

 Marumaru, Tahataha, Tu-ranga-pito, and Aperahania Tipae. All the Ngati 

 Apa chiefs were there with the exception of Hakeke. Leaving Te Ana, we 

 pushed on to the mouth of the Kangi-tikei. Here we found Ngati Mania- 

 poto returning from Hao-whenua. Ngati Tu-whare-toa and Whanga-nui 

 had been -wdth them, but they parted at the mouth of the Rangi-tikei, the 

 latter travelUng along the coast on their way home, while Ngati Mania-poto 

 returned by way of the Rangi-tikei River, with the intention of attacking 

 Ngati Hau-iti and Ngati Hine-manu on their way, because the latter tribes 

 had neglected the Maori custom of sending presents of birds and food to 

 Te Heuheu when he had passed through them on a former occasion " 

 [apparently as a kind of tribute to his supreme position]. " These people 

 had in consequence fled into the bush, and Ngati Mania-poto searched the 

 neighbourhood for them, but in vain. From the Rangi-tikei River we 

 pushed on, passed the Manawa-tu, and reached Otaki, The main body 

 did not remain there long, and the rest stayed for about a year and a half, 

 when they also retimied by way of Manawa-tu, struck the river at Te Ana, 

 and so returned home. This journey was called ' Hou hou rongo ki Hao- 

 whenua ' — that is, ' The peacemaking of Hao-whenua,' and took place about 

 five years before Te Kuiti-tanga." (Kuiti-tanga, 1839, took place the 

 day before the arrival of the " Tory," and is described in Wakefield's 

 " Adventures in New Zealand.") 



" And now, after all this fighting and feasting, there came yet another 

 army, few in number but mighty in power, armed not with guns, but books ; 

 and soon the last fight was fought, the last banquet finished, our captives 

 were liberated and returned to their homes at Parewa-nui and Rangi-tikei, 

 and we also sent those home whom we had captured." (There is a song 

 existing that refers to the retm-ning captives. Hura is mentioned in it, 

 and he is connected with Pukepuke : " Katahi te huhure ka tiketike.") 

 Parewa-nui became the assembhng-place of all the people, and Te Hakeke 

 was the first teacher appointed there. But with the desire for knowledge 

 came also the desire for guns. So Ngati Apa went on a visit to their distant 

 relatives the Kiki-rongo, to try to obtain these coveted weapons ; and while 



* Te Horita-te-Ta,niwha, of Ngati Wha-naunga, came from Coromandel, which was 

 his home. 



