82 Transactions. 
but were repulsed with some slaughter ; and after renewing the attempt and 
finding them too strong to be thus overcome, they determined to commence a 
regular siege. For that purpose they intrenched themselves on the ground in 
front of the pa, at the same time occupying some sand-hills which commanded 
it on the eastern side, but from which it is separated by a branch of the great 
swamp before referred to. In the meantime, some of the N gaitahu who had 
escaped from the first attack, favoured in so doing by their intimate 
knowledge of the line of swamps which occupies the intervals between the 
sand-dunes and the sea coast as far as Banks Peninsula, managed to reach 
Port Cooper, where they informed their people of the attack upon the pa, 
arriving there in time to stop Taiaroa and those who were about to accompany 
him to Otago. After collecting reinforcements from the villages on the 
peninsula, Taiaroa and his forces made their way along the coast line as far as 
the Waimakariri, availing themselves of the swamps above referred to, for the 
purpose of concealing their march from any detached parties of the Ngatitoa. 
On reaching the Waimakariri they crossed it on rafts (commonly called 
mokihi by the natives) made of dried stalks of the Phormium tenax, and 
concealed themselves until dark. Finding the hostile forces encamped along 
the front of the pa, and warned by their watch-fires that they were on the 
alert, they determined to ford the Swamp at a narrow point on its western 
side, and to enter it through an outwork erected there, that being the only 
point along the line of the swamp which was at all weak. Using the utmost 
caution in their approach to this point they succeeded in reaching it without 
having attracted the notice of the besiegers, and at once plunged into the 
swamp, trusting to be able to struggle through it and to enter the pa without 
being attacked by the Ngatitoa. Knowing, however, that the defenders, 
would also be on the alert, they shouted the name of Taiaroa as they plunged 
into the water, in the hope that their friends would recognise their voices and 
take the necessary steps to admit them ; but the latter, believing it’ to be a 
ruse of the Ngatitoa, opened fire upon them, which was kept up vigorously for 
some time. The error having at last been discovered, and little damage 
having fortunately been done, the main body of the warriors were admitted 
into the pa, to the great joy of the handful of people by whom, up to that 
time, the defence had been maintained. The siege operations were, however, 
in but a slight degree affected by this accession of strength to the besieged, for 
although they made frequent sorties against the works of the Ngatitoa these 
experienced warriors held them without difficulty, and repulsed them all with 
loss to the assailants. The Ngaitahu, dispirited by their failures, soon 
abandoned these tactics, and, trusting in the impregnable nature of the pa, 
confined themselves to purely defensive operations. I ought to mention that 
at the time the siege commenced the pa was well provisioned, besides which 
