48 Transactions. 
as having been, during this period, “famous in matters relative to warfare, 
cultivating, generosity, welcoming of strangers and war parties.” He is 
also said to have been particularly remarkable for the following reason : 
“Tf a party of visitors arrived just as the food of his workmen was cooked, 
and if those workmen were strangers to his treatment of visitors, and gave 
them their food, he ordered them to take it back, saying that fresh food was 
to be cooked for the visitors. The workmen would then be ashamed, and 
Te Rauparaha applauded as a man whose fame had travelled amongst all the 
tribes. When the workmen were satisfied, Te Rauparaha would cook fresh 
food for the visitors, who, when they had partaken, would leave. Hence, 
amongst his tribe a saying is used, ‘Are you Te Rauparaha? When his 
workmen are satisfied, food will be prepared for visitors.’” 
It appears that in 1817, or about three years before E Hongi left for 
England, and after the failure of Te Rauparaha’s attempt to form an alliance 
against Waikato, a large war party arrived at Kawhia under the command of 
Tamati Waka Nene and of his brother Patuone, who invited Rauparaha to 
join them in a raid upon the southern tribes. Tamati Waka’s people had a 
considerable number of muskets on this occasion, but the expedition had no 
special object beyond slaughter and slave-making, with the added pleasure of 
devouring the bodies of the slain. Te Rauparaha joined them with many 
warriors, and the party travelled along the coast through the territory of the 
Ngatiawa whose alliance with Ngatitoa, however, saved them from molesta- 
tion. Hostilities were commenced by an attack upon Ngatiruanui, who were 
dispersed, after great slaughter. This first success was followed by attacks on 
all the tribes on the coast until the taua reached Otaki, great numbers of 
people being killed, and many slaves taken, whilst the remainder were driven 
into the hills and fastnesses, where many of them perished miserably from 
exposureand want. At Otaki the invaders rested, Rauparaha visiting Kapiti, 
which he found in possession of a section of the N gatiapa tribe, under the 
chiefs Potau and Kotuku. It would seem that even at this time Te 
Rauparaha, who was much struck with the appearance of the country, formed 
the design of taking possession of it, and, with his usual policy, determined, 
instead of destroying the people he found on the Island, to treat them with 
kindness, though he and the other leaders compelled them to collect and 
surrender much greenstone, of which this tribe especially had, during a long 
intercourse with the Middle Island, and by means of their own conquests of 
the Ngaitahu, obtained large and valuable quantities. The hostile party then 
continued their course along the coast, destroying great numbers of people. 
On their arrival at Wellington, then called Whanganui-a-tara, they found that 
the inhabitants—a section of the Ngatikahungunu—alarmed at the approach 
of the ruthless invaders, had fled to the Wairarapa. Thither followed the 
