W. T. L. Travers.—The Life and Times of Te Rauparaha. 75 
by the war party at a pa called Omihi, where they were attacked and routed 
with great slaughter, numbers of prisoners being also taken. These were left 
in charge of a detachment, whilst the rest of the force pushed with all speed 
for Kaiapoi, in order that Rauparaha might put his design against its 
inhabitants into execution. The pa of that name was situated just within the 
line of the coast dunes of Pegasus Bay, about a mile to the south of the River 
Ashley, and was erected upon a promontory about nine or ten acres in extent, 
which extends into a deep swamp lying between the sand dunes and the bank 
of the river. This swamp, which is very deep, nearly surrounds the site of 
the pa, and prevented it from being attacked at any point except in front ; 
and along the line of the front, extending from one branch of the swamp to 
the other, a distance of about 250 yards, it was defended by a double line of 
heavy palisading and a deep ditch, with two large outworks, from which a 
flank fire could be maintained on any party attempting to scale the palisades, 
I have frequently visited the site of this pa, which still exhibits unmistakeable 
evidences of the conflict which took place there, including many relics of the 
special festivities with which the Maoris invariably celebrated their victories. 
I was informed that after its fall (which will shortly be fully detailed) the 
principal defenders threw large numbers of their choicest green-stone weapons 
and ornaments into the deepest part of the swamp, where they still lie, to 
reward any enterprising person who will drain it for the purpose of recovering 
them. 
When Rauparaha and his people arrived at the pa, they at once opened 
intercourse with the chiefs, pretending that they had come to seek their 
friendship, and desired to barter fire-arms and ammunition in exchange for 
green-stone, in which the people of Kaiapoi, like their kinsfolk at Kaikoura, 
were extremely rich, but the latter, having been informed by some refugees of 
the slaughter at Omihi, distrusted the good intentions of their visitors, In 
order, however, to remove all pretext for hostilities they received them with 
great appearance of cordiality, and treated the chiefs who visited their houses 
with ostentatious hospitality. Rauparaha himself, however, could not be 
induced to enter the pa, the wily chief feeling that he had too surely earned 
their animosity by the slaughter of their kinsfolk, and, therefore, could not 
justly place much trust upon their professions of friendship. It appears, 
according to the Ngatitoa account of the affair, that Te Pehi, who in order to 
keep up the deception had carried on a trade with some of the people, let the 
cat out of the bag; for a Ngaitahu chief having expressed great unwillingness 
to part with a coveted green-stone weapon, was told by Te Pehi, in anger, 
“ Why do you, with the crooked tatoo, resist my wishes; you, whose nose 
will shortly be cut off with a hatchet.” This confirmation from the lips of 
one of the chiefs in command of the Ngatitoa of their preconception of 
a 
