DowNES. — Life of Nuku-Pewapewa. 369 



rata-tree. They reached that place at midday, and after kai Hapuku asked 

 Nuku and the other chiefs to climb a very high hill in order to survey the 

 situation. From the top of this hill they could see from Masterton to the 

 lake, as well as both the east and west sides of the Rua-mahanga River. 

 They reached the top about sunset, when they saw the innumerable fires 

 of the various interloping companies below, stretching right from the mouth 

 of the lake to Masterton. After surveying the scene in silence for a time, 

 Hapuku said to Nuku, " Where are we going to get enough water to put 

 all these fires out ? " Nuku replied, " If you are frightened, return at once, 

 and I'll put the fires out myself." Then a korero took place, and all the 

 chiefs of the party ad\ased Nuku to return, as the fire was too great to be 

 extinguished ; but Nuku replied to every argument that he would see them 

 put out or die on his own land. 



Next morning the main body left Nuku with his two hundred fighting- 

 men ; but a few hours later one of the chiefs, named Hoiroa, of the Ngati 

 Upokoire, returned with twenty-five of his followers, saying, " As you are 

 going to stay, I also will remain." 



After two days had been spent digging fern-root and preparing food, 

 Nuku and his party went to Puku-maki, from which place they again looked 

 down on the fires. Then Nuku discovered that there was only one great 

 fire, all the rest were small and insignificant, so he concluded that the most 

 people were to be found where the great fire was burning. He started off 

 that night, and came to Featherston, where there was a bush called Pikoke, 

 and when he reached the shelter of this place he set his men to work and 

 placed snares for rats all through the bush. Next morning the traps were 

 visited and the rats cooked before daylight, and after kai they all went on 

 to Tau-whare-rata, where the large camp-fire had been seen. 



It was summer-time, in the early morning, and the occupants of the pa 

 were all asleep. Nuku now arranged that twenty men should creep up to 

 each of the nine houses composing the fa, and his iustructions were that 

 the principal men should be captured, and none killed, as he wished to 

 make a peace after getting the chiefs into his power. 



Accordingly the nine companies crept along in the dim light of the 

 early morning, reached the houses, held the closed doors, and trapped the 

 enemy. Out of that company only one man escaped — namely, the chief 

 Whare-pouri — and he got away owing to the sides of his house not being 

 driven into the ground and fixed like the rest of the whare. Nuku and 

 two of his friends were watching the outcome of the attack, when they saw 

 Whare-pouri creep under the side of his house, and flee. They watched 

 him climb the bank, and they noticed by the dress he wore that he was a 

 chief of note. Accordingly Nuku sent two of his fleetest men after the 

 fugitive chief ; but it was of no avail. When they at length caught up to 

 him he saved himself by jumping over the cliff. In his descent he caught 

 or was caught by a folme vine, which saved his life by breaking the force 

 of his fall, and eventually he got away to Pitone. When his pursuers came 

 up they dared not venture the same feat, and had to return crestfallen and 

 declare themselves beaten. In this exploit Nuku captured twenty-seven 

 persons, including Te Ua-mai-rangi (the wife of Whare-pouri), also his eldest 

 daughter (whose name was Te Kakape) : and when he had got them to- 

 gether he launched the great canoe called Nga-toto, put all his captives on 

 board, and took them to Otauira, sending most of his own people by land. 

 Here he left the waka and went to Nga-mutu-awa (Bishop's reserve for 

 college at Masterton), where Nuku said to Hoiroa and the rest of the people. 



