W. T. L. Travers.— The Life and Times of Te Rauparaha. 45 
at once placed under his leadership a number of young warriors, who were, as 
we may suppose, perfectly willing to join in such an expedition. During this 
time, as I have been informed, Te Rauparaha was suffering from some disease, 
attended with a good deal of physical pain ; but notwithstanding this, and 
against the suggestions of his father to postpone the expedition until his 
health was better established, he determined to prosecute it, and the war party 
advanced into the territory of the Waikatos, with whom, at that time, they 
were in profound peace. In ignorance of their intentions, their advanced 
parties were permitted to enter a pa of the enemy, who, however, soon 
discovering their error, flew to arms, and succeeded in driving them out again 
with some loss. Te Rauparaha, with the remainder of the taua, seeing 
the rout of his advanced guard, at once took cover, unperceived by the 
Waikatos ; and as the latter, in some disorder, were pushing the pursuit, he 
and his warriors attacked them in flank and rear, and defeated them with 
much slaughter, at the same time taking many prisoners, amongst whom was 
Te Haunga, a principal chief, who, with several others, was afterwards killed 
and eaten “as a relish” to the food apportioned to Marore. The success 
attending this expedition, and the skill shown by Te Rauparaha in taking 
advantage of the disorder of the enemy, at once rendered him famous as a 
Maori warrior ; and from thenceforth he occupied a position of influence, not 
only with his own immediate tribe, but also with those to which it was allied, 
whilst his growing talents and power were looked upon with much respect 
and dread by those who had any reason to fear his prowess or his revenge. 
The event above referred to, naturally led to frequent battles with the 
Waikatos, in which Ngatitoa, under Te Rauparaha, were ag successful, 
although occasionally defeated with considerable loss. 
In the intervals of peace, Te Rauparaha visited his kindred at Maunga- 
tautari, then under the general leadership of Hape Te Tuarangi, a distin- 
guished old warrior, who had fought many battles against the Waikato tribes, 
and particularly one at Kakamutu, on the Waipa, in which the latter were 
defeated with tremendous slaughter. On the death of Hape, which will be 
more specially referred to in the sequel, Te Rauparaha married his chief wife, 
Akau, who became the mother of Tamihana Te Rauparaha, still living at 
Otaki, from whom I have obtained a large amount of information respecting 
the career of his celebrated father. Te Rauparaha, also kept up a constant 
intercourse with his friends at Rotorua, and frequently visited Te Heuheu, 
who was much impressed with the character of his visitor, and became his fast 
and valuable ally. Besides this, he made several excursions to the Thames in 
order to obtain the alliance of Ngatimaru—then a very powerful people, but 
who were subsequently nearly annihilated by the Ngapuhi from the North, and 
by Te Waharoa and his Ngaiterangi allies, as mentioned in the last chapter. 
