Locxr.—Historical Traditions of Taupo and East Coast Tribes. 448 
then killed, and was carried away and hidden under the waterfall at the 
precipice. He was not eaten. His slave escaped to the opposite side of 
Taupo, and informed the Ngatituwharctoa tribe that his master had been 
murdered. Messengers were at once sent to all parts of Taupo to collect 
the Ngatituwharetoa for the purpose of utterly destroying the tribe of 
murderers. In a few days they were all collected together. They then 
paddled over in canoes to the number of cight hundred men. The brave 
Waikari accompanied the army, his weapon being a taiaha. They paddled 
to the Whakauenuku, where they landed, and distributed food amongst the 
several hapus.  Tumatangana diyided the pounded fernroot, and while 
doing so observed Waikari sitting in his canoe, the reason for his doing so 
being he had brought no food with him, and felt ashamed. Tamatangana 
gave him some fernroot, which he did not eat, but stowed it away in his 
belt. 
During the night the army paddled on, and in the morning landed below 
the pa and occupied all the approaches. They then made an attack, and 
the pa fell into their hands. Several people were killed. One chief, Rongo- 
hape, who was taken prisoner, tried to escape by the cliff. He descended 
into the water amd came near a canoe, in which a boy named Rangaita and 
his slave were sitting. The boy seized Rongohape by the head and hauled 
him into the canoe and killed him. Upon enquiry being made for a chief 
who could not be found among the prisoners or the slain, Rangaita ex- 
claimed, * I have the man lying in my canoe.” He was asked if he was a 
full-grown man, and he answered “ Yes,” with a lame leg. The prisoners 
were then bound and placed with the army. 
Waikari took Roroihape, a chieftainess, prisoner, whom he carried 
away with him. The men all begged for Roroihape for a wife, but 
Waikari would not consent, as he intended to give her to Tumatangana 
as compensation for his liberality in having presented him with the 
pounded fernroot. 
The chiefs of Ngatitama who were killed in this engagement, as payment 
for the murder of Ruawehea, were Rongohape, Rongohaua, Atua-rere-toi, 
and others. Afterwards another attack was made on the Ngatitama, when 
the pa Purukete fell. From that originated the proverb, ** Awe, mate, he 
mate wareware te kite au i o Purukete," The reason of that proverb was 
because Ruawehea was not eaten. The remnant of Ngatitama fled to 
Rotorua and Lower Taupo. Kapawa collected a few of the tribe to reside 
with him. . 
That is all in reference to the Ngatitama tribe who were subdued by 
Ngatituwharetoa. All Taupo became the property of Ngatituwharetoa, who 
still hold it, and are now living there. 
