BuLLER. — The Story of Pajmitonga. 575 



till the morning-star arose, others were for assaulting during 

 the night. Then a war-party to the number, perhaps, of five 

 hundred started off to scale the cliff. Just as the advance 

 guard reached the edge of the plateau a woman who came 

 out of one of the houses detected the presence of an enemy- 

 approaching because she could hear the rumbling of voices. 

 It arose in this manner : The foot of one of the scaling-party 

 loosened a stone, which rolled down the cliff, punishing the 

 heads of those who were below. Some laughed, and others 

 protested, for they were much disconcerted by this boulder 

 rolling downwards, and breaking the heads of those it came 

 across. The men who were being punished by the descending 

 boulder called out in protest, and the woman heard them. 

 She rushed back into the house and gave the alarm to the 

 Ngatitoa. Instantly all the people were on the alert, buckling 

 on their cartouche-boxes, and loading their guns. They 

 poured out of their houses to find the war-party on the 

 plateau, and the fight commenced at once. The bulk of the 

 attacking force remained at the landing-place. The Ngatitoa 

 were armed with guns and powder. Their assailants had 

 none. In face of the guns, what could they do with their 

 native weapons, for their only arms were patiti, and meremere, 

 and teivhatetvha, and huata, and taiaha ? Of course they were 

 utterly routed. The fugitives sprang over the cliff, and many 

 perished. But now it was daylight, and the enemy could be 

 seen. The whole force was now attacked by the Ngatitoa, 

 and great was their defeat. They attempted to make their 

 escape in the canoes, but they crowded into them in such 

 haste and terror that many of them were capsized, and 

 numbers of people were drowned. A remnant escaped, and 

 reached the mainland in safety. So ended the fight on 

 Kapiti. 



" Subsequently to this Te Eauparaha thought he would 

 come over to the mainland and explore the country ; so he 

 came over to Waikawa. When the Muaupoko, who had now 

 concentrated themselves at Horowhenua and at Waiwiri, 

 heard that he had come to Waikawa they began to lay plans 

 for killing him. They sent an invitation to Te Eauparaha to 

 come to Waiwiri, to this very place Papaitonga, to receive a 

 present'of food — that is to say, for a feast of eels — these lakes, 

 Horowhenua and Waiwiri, being noted for eels. Te Eaupa- 

 raha consented, and came with a party of about twenty. 

 When he had arrived at Te Wi, near Ohau, the Muaupoko sent 

 their messengers to inform the people at Horowhenua, also to 

 the Eangitane, and to the Ngatiapa ; and that very day, after 

 nightfall, all the tribe assembled at Papaitonga. Te Eaupa- 

 raha had slept two nights at Te Wi when the Muaupoko 

 brought their present of eels from Waiwiri, saying that 



