104 ORIGIN OF THE WAR. [PART I. 



of battle. This was at the third village, and many 

 traces of the strife were visible ; trenches were dug 

 in the sand of the beach, the fences of the village had 

 been thrown down, and the houses were devastated. 

 I heard the following particulars relative to the 

 cause and commencement of the contest : Several 

 years ago the Nga-te-raukaua came from the in- 

 terior, and formed a settlement on the sea-shore. 

 The whole coast from Taranaki to Port Nicholson 

 is a weather-beaten lee shore, and the only place 

 where large ships can with safety anchor is the 

 roadstead of Kapiti. Not satisfied with a settlement 

 which they had formed at Otaki, they wanted to 

 coine nearer to this place of anchorage, for the ad- 

 vantage of trading, and their aim, during several 

 years, has been to drive the Nga-te-awa from Wai- 

 kanahi, which is opposite Kapiti. 



It seems that the attack was concerted a few 

 weeks ago at some funeral festivities celebrated in 

 the island of Mana, in honour of Waitohi, a very 

 old woman, who had enjoyed great renown as a 

 prophetess amongst the different tribes. She was 

 a relation of Rauparaha, and mother of Rangi-haiata, 

 another Nga-te-awa chief. At these festivities Nga- 

 te-raukaua and Nga-te-awa had assembled together 

 and committed some excesses by killing several 

 sheep belonging to a European, for the sake of the 

 wool, which is in great request for interweaving in 

 their mats. These festivals lasted several weeks, 

 and during that time it was said Rauparaha con- 



