874 Trantaction$. 



Then they returned, carrying the captive women with them. Among 

 those taken were the two daughters of Kai-mokopuna. The chief Hapuku 

 married one of these, and their son's name was Te Watini Hapuku. No 

 revenge was ever obtained for these victories. 



In the meantime Whare-pouri had been growing corn and preparing 

 flax in order to pay for the passage by boat for himself and a number of 

 his people, and they set out for the peninsula to seek Nuku. 



While they were in the boat journeying up the coast it so happened 

 that Nuku set out in a large canoe for the place where the town of Napier 

 now stands, and when they were all out to sea a violent gale arose and the 

 canoe was capsized. Eighteen persons were thus drowned, but Nuku and 

 four others climbed on to the upturned canoe and waited for the tide to 

 wash them on shore. Poor fellows, half-dead by cold and exposure, they 

 vainly struggled, endeavouring to keep her prow straight on to the shore, 

 as swiftly she was being driven to destruction. While Nuku was swimming 

 at the prow, striving to bring her round, a strong wave -drove the canoe 

 right on him ; he was struck on the head, and in a moment was dead. 



When Whare-pouri landed from the boat on which he had journeyed 

 north he found that the man he had come to seek was dead, so he inquired 

 who was the nearest relation to the great chief. Tu-te-pakihi-rangi came, 

 stood up and welcomed Whare-pouri with the customary salutation, and 

 then asked why he had come. Whare-pouri replied, " I came hither to see 

 my friend Nuku, and invite him back to his own place at Wairarapa, for I 

 am heeding his message, and am leav:ng the land for my old home, taking 

 my people, the Ngati Awa, with me. The Ngati Toa and the Ngati Rau- 

 kawa are also removing ; but Taringa-kuri and his people, the Ngati Tama, 

 are still at Featherston, where I have left them as firewood for Nuku's fire. 

 I find my friend Nuku is dead, but I still wish all you of the Ngati Kahu- 

 ugunu to go back." 



Then Te Hapuku said to Whare-pouri, " I cannot allow my people to 

 go back with you to Wairarapa, for when you get them there you may kill 

 them in revenge for past fights." Whare-pouri stood up and said, " I am 

 a chief by birth, and my word is the word of a chief. If you are frightened 

 I am prepared to stay with you as a hostage while your people go : then 

 if any of them are killed you can kill me." 



Then Whare-pouri, with fifteen of his warriors, stayed at Nukutaurua, 

 while Tu-te-pakihi-rangi and twenty Wairarapa chiefs (here my informant 

 recited the twenty names) went on board the same boat that had brought 

 Whare-pouri, and sailed back to Po-neke. When they landed at that place 

 a great meeting was called, at which Tu-te-pakihi-rangi stood up and said, 

 ■' We have now a new people amongst us, and they are armed with this 

 new and strong weapon against which our weapons are useless. Because of 

 this, I shall ask you to retire back to your own land, for who knows what 

 iies before us ? Listen : my boundaries will be from the Manawa-tu River 

 to the Manga-toro Creek (a tributary) on the east side to its source, thence 

 over the land to Rapu-ruru, and on to Aketiu, round the coast, back to 

 the Manawa-tu River, where the boundaries meet. This land shall be mine, 

 for me and my people. See the Tararua Mountains, which divide the land : 

 let that range be our backbone, and all the rivers and creeks which rise in 

 that backbone and flow west will be water for you to drink from ; those 

 flowing east will be for me and mine." 



Then all the people agreed to these proposals, and they stayed and li^■pd 

 together in peace. 



