Locke. — Historical Traditions of Taupo and East Coast Tribes. 443 



then killed, and was carried away and hidden under the waterfall at the 

 precipice. He was not eaten. His slave escaped to the opposite side of 

 Taupo, and informed the Ngatituwharetoa tribe that his master had been 

 murdered. Messengers were at once sent to all parts of Taupo to collect 

 the Ngatituwharetoa for the purpose of utterly destroying the tribe of 

 murderers. In a few days they were all collected together. They then 

 paddled over in canoes to the number of eight hundred men. The brave 

 Waikari accompanied the army, his weapon being a taiaha. They paddled 

 to the Whakauenuku, where they landed, and distributed food amongst the 

 several hapvs. Tumatangana divided the pounded fernroot, and while 

 doing so observed Waikari sitting hi his canoe, the reason for his doing so 

 being he had brought no food with him, and felt ashamed. Tamatangana 

 gave him some fernroot, which he did not eat, but stowed it away in his 

 belt. 



During the night the army paddled on, and in the morning landed below 

 the pa and occupied all the approaches. They then made an attack, and 

 the pa fell into their hands. Several people were killed. One chief, Eongo- 

 hape, who was taken prisoner, tried to escape by the cliff. He descended 

 into the water and came near a canoe, in which a boy named Eangaita and 

 his slave were sitting. The boy seized Eongohape by the head and hauled 

 him into the canoe and killed him. Upon enquiry being made for a chief 

 who could not be found among the prisoners or the slain, Eangaita ex- 

 claimed, " I have the man lying in my canoe." He was asked if he was a 

 full-grown man, and he answered " Yes," with a lame leg. The prisoners 

 were then bound and placed with the army. 



Waikari took Eoroihape, a chieftaiuess, prisoner, whom he carried 

 away with him. The men all begged for Eoroihape for a wife, but 

 Waikari would not consent, as he intended to give her to Tumatangana 

 as compensation for his liberality in having presented him with the 

 pounded fernroot. 



The chiefs of Ngatitama who were killed in this engagement, as payment 

 for the murder of Euawehea, were Eongohape, Eongohaua, Atua-rere-toi, 

 and others. Afterwards another attack was made on the Ngatitama, when 

 the pa Purukete fell. From that originated the proverb, " Aue, mate, lie 

 mate wareware te kite au i o Purukete." The reason of that proverb was 

 because Euawehea was not eaten. The remnant of Ngatitama fled to 

 Eotorua and Lower Taupo. Kapawa collected a few of the tribe to reside 

 with him. 



That is all in reference to the Ngatitama tribe who were subdued by 

 Ngatituwharetoa. All Taupo became the property of Ngatituwharetoa, who 

 still hold it, and are now living there. 



