444 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



The First Gun in Taupo. 



The following is an account of some fights when there was only one gun 

 in Taupo District : — 



The descendants of Tuwharetoa are still noted for their bravery ; none 

 of the tribes of this island have been able to subdue them. A tribe called 

 the Ngatimaru came to Taupo intent on conquering them. They came at 

 first unexpectedly and took the people by surprise, but were forced to retire. 

 On their second coming all the men of Taupo had collected together on 

 Motutaiko, an island situated in the Sea of Taupo, and there they determined 

 to defend themselves against the Ngatimaru. All the people of Taupo, 

 when they saw that Ngatimaru had come with the full intention of subduing 

 the Ngatituwharetoa, got into their canoes and made for the Island of Mo- 

 tutaiko. At that time only one gun had reached Taupo. 



As the enemy appeared on the shore a man in one of the canoes named 

 Euipawhara fired the gun and killed two of them. They took fright and 

 retired, and in the morning we followed and overtook them at Lake Eotoaira, 

 at the foot of Tongariro Mountain, where a chief named Arakai was killed 

 by Poinga with a taiaha. Wharemarumaru, a Waikato chief, was also 

 killed, as well as many others, perhaps two hundred, including women. 

 But some escaped and fled to Hauraki (the Thames) where they gave 

 an account of their defeat. The Ngatimaru had brought a number of 

 women with them for holding the prisoners they expected to take, but 

 having beaten them, we kept their women as slaves for the people of 

 Taupo. 



Shortly after this the same tribe returned reinforced, seeking revenge 

 for their dead. They came four hundred strong under the leadership of 

 Honorehua. A battle ensued, and they were defeated. The Ngatituwhare- 

 toa had but the one gun, while the enemy were well supplied with such 

 weapons, but what was that to the men of Taupo ? They could stab and 

 kill with the huata and mere-mere, and other Maori weapons. Enough ! 

 The Ngatimaru tribe fled, and have never since returned. 

 Invasion of Ngatiraukaiva. 



This is another account of a war that occurred after the fight with 

 Ngatimaru : 



Another tribe which, in times past, has striven with Ngatituwharetoa 

 was the Ngatiraukawa. The quarrel between them originated through the 

 Ngatiraukawa digging up and taking away the bones of Eangitua and 

 Matataru. Tawei and Hurihia fled naked to the Heuheu and informed him 

 of what had taken place. He then assembled all Ngatituwharetoa and 

 marched to Eangatira, where they encountered the Ngatiraukawa and de- 

 feated them, killing about two hundred, including the chief Patana. They 



