62 Transactions. 
murder was to be committed at night by a war party from Horowhenua, and 
when Toheriri believed that his guest was fast asleep, he rose and went 
out, intending to inform the war party that Rauparaha was asleep in his 
house. His movements, however, aroused Te Rauparaha, who at once 
suspected some foul design, a suspicion which was soon converted into 
certainty by the eries of some of his people at the commencement of the 
bloody work. He then escaped from the house, and, being entirely unarmed, 
fled towards Ohau, which he succeeded in reaching, but quite naked. During 
the attack Rangihoungariri, who, it will be remembered, distinguished himself 
when Rauparaha’s party were attacked by Ngatimaniapoto, near the River 
Mokau, had succeeded in getting well away, but hearing Hira’s sister calling 
out to him that she would be killed, at once returned to her aid, but was soon 
overwhelmed by numbers and slain, Te Poa, Hira’s husband, having been 
killed previously. Hira, and a girl named Hononga, were not killed, but 
were carried off to Ruamahunga, in the Wairarapa, where the former after- 
wards married Taika, a distant relation of Rauparaha’s. These two girls were 
the daughters of that Marore whom I mentioned in a former chapter as 
having been his boy wife. This treacherous murder provoked the wrath of 
Ngatitoa, who, from that time, proceeded to destroy Muaupoko without mercy. 
Toheriri was taken prisoner, and afterwards hung and eaten, undergoing 
dreadful tortures. Before this event Muaupoko were a somewhat powerful 
tribe, but their power was utterly broken by the Ngatitoa and their allies, in 
revenge for the attempted murder of their great chief. After this escape 
Rauparaha settled at Ohau, and occupied the main land as far as Otaki, his 
war parties constantly hunting the people at Rangitikei, Manawatu, and 
Horowhenua ; but a remnant of these tribes still held Kapiti, notwithstanding 
several attempts to take possession of it. 
CHAPTER V.. 
Amonest the chiefs who accompanied Te Rauparaha _ in the migration, 
was his uncle, Te Pehi Kupe, who, by virtue of his seniority of age 
and rank, was undoubtedly entitled to the leadership of the tribe; but, 
although not deficient in talent, and admittedly a great warrior, he was 
inferior to his nephew in those special qualifications, which had enabled the 
latter to acquire the power he held over his own tribe, and the influence 
he exercised in the councils of the Ngatiawa and Ngatiraukawa. It has, 
however, been asserted that there are grounds for believing that Rauparaha 
was somewhat jealous of Te Pehi, and that dreading the possibility of an 
attempt on the part of the latter to assume the leadership of the tribe in 
virtue of his higher social position, he would not unwillingly have sacrificed 
him. Indeed, it is said, that the taking of Kapiti was primarily due to a 
