400 Transactions.— Geology. 
Taiaroa. This murder was the cause of great grief to Ngatikahungunu, and 
they were so enraged that they all combined to take revenge upen Ngaitahu. 
They commenced carving canoes without number, they collected all the dressed 
flax and pigs and every other thing which they could dispose of to the Euro- 
peans in exchange for guns and ammunition, determined that when they had 
got a sufficient supply they would go and utterly annihilate Ngaitahu. In 
the meantime Te Rauparaha heard of the murder, and although he was an 
enemy of Te Kekerengu he was so indignant at such treachery that he went 
and fought with Ngaitahu and beat them; but in his battles with them he 
suffered severely, losing most of his principal chiefs. 
“Shortly afterwards Ngatikahungunu began to assemble, and when they 
arrived at Ahuriri they were 1,000 strong, and so well had they carried out 
their arrangements that most of them had from two to three guns each ! 
However, when they reached Ahuriri, they found that a missionary had 
arrived there. The missionary made every endeavour to dissuade them from 
their purpose, and so far did he succeed that they agreed that only those men 
who were actual owners of the land (peninsula) would go to the fight ; but 
even this was not carried out, for in consequence of the influence of the 
missionaries they did not go over to Ngaitahu. There were, however, a few 
battles or skirmishes between them and the Ngatiawa, and the other tribes 
who had come to the assistance of Te Rauparaha, in one of which a woman 
named Ripeku, daughter of Te Wharepouri, was taken prisoner by Nuku, 
a fighting chief of Ngatikahungunu. He told her that she should not be 
killed, but that she must return to her father and tell him that he must go up 
to Nukutaurua and see Nuku, and make peace with him. She returned, and 
when Te Wharepouri was told what Nuku had said he immediately started 
for Nukutaurua, but when he arrived he found that Nuku had been drowned 
some time. However, Nuku’s people so far respected the wishes of their 
former chief as to make peace with Te Wharepouri and the others, and thus 
the Ngatiawa were left in quiet possession of the peninsula, as the Ngatika- 
hungunu did not desire to return to it. 
“Some of the timber used in the construction of the pas was got on the 
peninsula, some from the Hutt. There was at that time a little rimu and 
totara, with a good deal of tawai, etc., on the eastern or Worser Bay side of 
the peninsula.” 
It is much to be Daid that a record of the native history of other 
localities should be obtained before the traditions have passed away from the 
recollection of the Maoris. I therefore trust that the example which I have 
now set may be followed. 
For the description of the botany of the peninsula I am indebted to Mr. J. 
Buchanan (see Art. XLVI). 
