444 Transactions.—Miscellaneous. 
The First Gun in Taupo. 
The following is an account of some fights when there was only one gun 
in Taupo District :— 
The descendants of Tuwharetoa are still noted for their bravery ; none 
of the tribes of this island have been able to subdue them. A tribe called 
the Ngatimaru came to Taupo intent on conquering them. They came at 
first unexpectedly and took the people by surprise, but were forced to retire. 
On their second coming all the men of Taupo had collected together on 
Motutaiko, an island situated in the Sea of Taupo, and there they determined 
to defend themselves against the Ngatimaru. All the people of Taupo, 
when they saw that Ngatimaru had come with the full intention of subduing 
the Ngatituwharetoa, got into their canoes and made for the Island of Mo- 
tutaiko. At that time only one gun had reached Taupo. 
As the enemy appeared on the shore a man in one of the canoes named 
Ruipawhara fired the gun and killed two of them. They took fright and 
retired, andin the morning we followed and overtook them at Lake Rotoaira, 
at the foot of Tongariro Mountain, where a chief named Arakai was killed 
by Poinga with a taiaha. Wharemarumaru, a Waikato chief, was also 
killed, as well as many others, perhaps two hundred, imcluding women. 
Dut some escaped and fled to Hauraki (the Thames) where they gave 
an account of their defeat. The Ngatimaru had brought a number of 
women with them for holding the prisoners they expected to take, but 
having beaten them, we kept their women as slaves for the people of 
aupo. 
Shortly after this the same tribe returned reinforced, seeking revenge 
for their dead. They came four hundred strong under the leadership of 
Honorehua. A battle ensued, and they were defeated. The Ngatituwhare- 
toa had but the one gun, while the enemy were well supplied with such 
weapons, but what was that to the men of Taupo? They could stab and 
kill with the huata and mere-mere, and other Maori weapons. Enough! 
The Ngatimaru tribe fled, and have never since returned 
Invasion of Ngatiraukawa. 
This is another account of a war that occurred after the fight with 
Ngatimaru : 
Another tribe which, in times past, has striven with Ngatituwharetoa 
was the Ngatiraukawa. The quarrel between them originated through the 
Ngatiraukawa digging up and taking away the bones of Rangitua and 
Matataru. Tawei and Hurihia fled naked to the Heuheu and informed him 
of what had taken place. He then assembled all Ngatituwharetoa and 
marched to Rangatira, where they encountered the Ngatiraukawa and de- 
feated them, killing about two hundred, including the chief Patana. They 
