370 Transactions. 



" As Ngati Kahu-ngunu went back with fear because of tbe great fire on 

 my land, and because I was thus weakened, I thought it the better plan 

 to make peace, and that is the reason why I have saved these people from 

 death." Then, turning to Ua-mai-rangi, he continued, " Go home to my 

 friend Whare-pouri and ask him why he came all the way from Maunga- 

 tautari* (at Waikato) to kill me and take away my land. I am now on my 

 way to Nukutaurua, but will come back again when I am armed with the 

 fu-atua." 



When Te Ua-mai-rangi heard that speech she stood up and replied to 

 Nuku, saying, " You have saved me ; because of this I give you Te Whare- 

 pouri's eldest daughter, Te Kakape, and, as you have made peace, I leave 

 my daughter and return to Whare-pouri to tell him what you say." Then 

 Nuku provided twenty of his people as an escort for her, and conducted her 

 as far as Mataraua (the river near Carterton Station), where they parted, 

 and she went on with her own people. At dark she reached the place 

 where the Pencarrow Lighthouse now stands, and by the time she reached 

 Pitone it was after midnight, and all the people in the fa at that place were 

 asleep. Then she left her own people on the beach, and went in search for 

 her husband, Whare-pouri. She listened at each house for her husband's 

 heavy breathing, and when she discovered the house where he was sleeping 

 she entered. The fire was burning dimly, but she detected her husband 

 and, quietly walking up to him, she placed her hand on his head, at the 

 same time bending down and whispering, " Here I am alone, saved by 

 Nuku." 



Hearing the sound of voices, the rest of the people woke up, and when 

 they discovered it was Te Ua-mai-rangi who had come to them during the 

 night they wished to tangi ; but Whare-pouri said, " Wait till we hear the 

 whole matter on the morrow." When morning came Whare-pouri blew the 

 trumpets and gathered all the people together, and then Ua-mai-rangi 

 told what had happened, what Nuku had said, and how she had given her 

 daughter to Nuku. Then Whare-pouri got up and said, "I want all the 

 Ngati Toa, the Ngati Awa, and Ngat^ Raukawa to leave this valley, ^r 

 Nuku is right. Why did I come here ? Was it not because Te Rau- 

 paraha and Rangi-haeata advised me that the land was idle ? I want 

 you now to give your consent, so that I may go to Nukutaurua and bring 

 Nuku back to his own land, and I and my people will then go back to 

 Maunga-tautari." Then all agreed to this proposition, with the exception 

 of Taringa-kuri, of the Ngati Tama, who had come from Poutama, near 

 Mokau, who said, " No ; I shall not leave ; I have lost some of my people 

 here, and will never go back." 



Wiwi-o-te-rangi, of Ngati Raukawa, spoke next, and he said to Whare- 

 pouri, '' I agree with you, and will order all my people out of the district." 

 Rangi-hei-roa, chief of Ngati Toa (uncle to Wi-parata), also agreed with 

 Whare-pouri's plan, and said, " My people will also leave this land, and 

 go back to Waikato." When Whare-pouri saw the feeling of the chiefs he 

 turned to Taringa-kuri and said, " We all go ; you can remain to light 

 Nuku's fire ; stay as firewood for him." Taringa-kuri replied, " I'm green 

 wood, and won't burn." Whare-pouri then said, " I shall go to Nukutaurua 

 by ship ; I want you, my people, to gather pigs and corn in abundance, so 



* My informant has evidently made a mistake here, for Whare-pouri came from 

 Nga Motu. New Plymouth, where he was the head chief of the Nga Motu hapu of 

 At) -awa. 



