SrAck.— Traditional History of the South Island Maoris. 83 
conflagration. Under cover of the smoke, the Ngai Tahu entered and a 
general massacre ensued. Amongst those who fled was Tu mataiao. Tu te 
uretira, mindful of his former boast, pursued after him, and this time 
caught him. ‘ Let me live,” he begged. ** Ah! was it not you who said 
I could not catch by morning the feet moving like the swift quivering 
raupo? Come with me to the camp.” Arrived there, Maru beckoned for 
Tu mataiao to be brought to his side, where he made room for him upon 
his mat. The poor wretch thought his life was now safe, when to his 
dismay Maru the merciful rose up, and, addressing the tribe, said—'* Here, 
take your food, only take care first to burn off the skin that has nestled 
beside that of your sister." Tu mataiao was then seized and put to death 
and eaten. 
Weakened by successive defeats the Ngatimamoe gradually retired 
southwards, and we do not hear of their making any very determined stand 
between the fall of Pakihi, or Pari whakatau, and the great battle on the 
banks of the Aparima thirty years afterwards, when their forces were 
completely annihilated, although constant petty encounters between the 
two contending tribes continued up to the very last. It was during this 
interval that the fugitives from Pakihi are said to have lived in caves, where 
traces of their occupation are shown in the rude drawings overlying those 
of a more ancient date; the reason given for their choosing such temporary 
shelter being that they thought they were less likely to be attacked, and if 
they were they would be in a better position to escape. Tukiauau, who 
escaped with his son and a few followers, separated from the main body of 
fugitives and went down to the Waihora lake where he built a pa. While 
there his son Koroki whiti made the acquaintance of Haki te kura, the 
daughter of the chief whose pa stood at the mouth of the Taiari. This 
maiden, unknown to her friends, used to meet her lover on the sands when 
the tide was low, and these clandestine meetings continued up to the time 
of Tukiauau's departure further south; for, hearing rumours of Ngai Tahu 
movements, he became alarmed and determined to place himself beyond 
pursuit. Accordingly he abandoned his pa at Waihora and embarked with 
his followers in a large war canoe. As they were passing below her father's 
pa, Haki te kura, eager to join her lover, jumped off the cliff into the water, 
but in doing so either fell upon a rock or on the edge of the canoe and was 
killed. Tu wiri roa, overwhelmed with grief and rage, swore to destroy the 
man who was the cause of his daughter's death. Waiting for a while to 
lull suspicion he followed in Tukiauau's wake, but could not for a long 
time discover his retreat, which was at length betrayed by the smoke of a 
fire on the island of Rakiura. Concealing himself behind some islets he 
waited till a canoe, manned by a large number of persons, came out to fish; 
