Locke. — Historical Traditions of Taupo and East Coast Tribes. 441 



chiefs and all the tribes consenting. A woman was therefore presented to 

 the chief of Ngatihotu named Paepaetehe. The woman's name was Hineuru, 

 sister of Taumaihi of Puteketeke and of Korotaka. Some of the party then 

 returned to Kawerau, the abode of Tuwharetoa in the Bay of Plenty, and 

 some remained at Taupo. 



The district now remained for many years at peace, and the Tuwhare- 

 toas considered the country theirs, when it occurred to Ngatihotu to seek 

 revenge by murder for their former defeat and the lives of their relatives 

 killed by Tuwharetoa. The Ngatihotu were then living at Motiti, in the 

 mountainous country of Kaimanawa. 



Eorotaka, Puteketeke, Taumaihi, and others of the Tuwharetoa tribe 

 went at that time to Motiti, and were beckoned by the people of the place 

 (Ngatihotu) to enter the pa. They did so, and sat down in the house. 

 The inhabitants of the place then put feathers of birds on the oven so that 

 the guests might think from the smell reaching their noses that birds were 

 beiug cooked for them at the fire. It was only a deceit, for the chiefs of the 

 pa (Ngatihotu) had planned to kill Puteketeke, Eorotaka, and Taumaihi. 

 Their sister, it will be remembered, had been given as a wife to the chief of 

 the pa — viz., Paepaetehe of Ngatihotu. She was sitting in the house talking 

 with her brothers of the Tuwharetoa quite ignorant of the murderous inten- 

 tions of her husband and his tribe. The visitors enquired of her what was 

 going on outside, and she answered, " They are preparing some food for 

 you." She then went out to see how things were getting on, when she met 

 the Ngatihotu coming to kill the people. She then cried out, " Sirs, an 

 attack, an attack." 



The fight then commenced, the enclosure round the house and the 

 veranda were full of people. Eorotaka stood at the door and Puteketeke 

 at the window with ten others. Eorotaka had a pukaea (bugle made of 

 wood). He commenced to jump about in the house shouting and yelling. 

 The people fell back into the enclosure of the village ; Eorotaka threw his 

 pukaea at them exclaiming, " I will have the heart of the first killed." The 

 people all gathered outside of the house and the fighting then continued 

 between the ten and the three hundred. 



Taumaia called out, " Oh ! Puteketeke ; oh ! we cannot hold out any 

 longer, the people are collecting spears." 



Puteketeke now observed that Eorotaka was out of wind, so he rushed 

 to the front, and there got stabbed in the thigh ; but he did not fall, he 

 continued rushing on while the enemy fell back before him, so he and his 

 party escaped. No chief was killed. Puteketeke alone was wounded, but 

 not killed. They then fled to Whaka-pou-Karakia, and concealed them- 

 selves there. Those who were able went on to Taupo. 



