W. T. L. Travers.—The Life and Times of Te Rauparaha. 85 
little doubt, however, that but for the great superiority in the weapons of the 
Waikato force, they would have thought twice before attacking their old foes, 
who had always been notorious for their bravery, and who in their frequent 
migrations had proved themselves more than a match for even the most 
warlike tribes to which they became opposed. But the possession of a large 
supply of firearms gave to the Waikato chieftains an almost irresistible 
offensive power, and they did not hesitate, therefore, in attacking the 
Ngatiawa, even in the midst of their own country and in their principal 
stronghold. The pa was defended by a large number of warriors, and with- 
stood for many months the most vigorous assaults, only falling at last after 
the unfortunate inhabitants had suffered much from famine. When taken, 
hundreds of prisoners fell into the hands of the victors, and it is related of 
Te Wherowhero that upwards of 250 of them were slain with his own hands, 
in order that they might be prepared for the ovens. It is said that, as he sat 
on the ground after the assault, the unfortunate wretches were one by one 
placed alongside of him, their heads within his reach, and that he despatched 
them succesively by a single blow on the skull with a celebrated mere 
pounamu, now in the possession of his son, the present Maori King. After 
killing this great number he threw the mere down, exclaiming, “I am tired, 
let the rest live,” and accordingly their lives were spared, but they were kept 
in slavery until some time after the establishment of the European settlement 
of New Plymouth. 
The heavy blow thus inflicted upon the tribe, and the fear of complete anni- 
hilation, determined those who still remained to join Rauparaha and the Ngati- 
raukawa, whose forces, thus increased, would be more than a match for any war 
party which the Waikatos could bring against them, even if the chiefs of the 
latter tribes felt disposed to carry hostilities into Rauparaha’s country. It 
appears that, shortly after the arrival of the Ngatiawa on the coast, they formed 
the design of taking possession of a large part of the country occupied by the 
Ngatiraukawa, and particularly that in the neighbourhood and to the north of 
Otaki. It would seem, moreover, that there was dissension amongst the 
Ngatitoas themselves, a portion of, them taking part with the Ngatiawa, out 
of jealousy at some apparent favouritism extended by Rauparaha to the great 
Ngatiawa chieftains, and more particularly to Whatanui, whose relationship 
to Rauparaha, together with his high character as a chief and warrior, gave 
him great influence with the latter. The immediate cause of the fighting to 
which I am about to refer, however, was a robbery committed by a party of 
Ngatiruanui, who were caught by the Ngatiraukawa in the very act of 
plundering their potato pits near Waikawa. A conflict at once took place, in 
which a leading chief of the Ngatiruanui, named Tawhake, was killed, and 
this led to hostilities being carried on between the two tribes at various 
