W. T. L. Travers. — The Life and Ti7nes of Te Rauparaha. 45 



at once placed under his leadership a number of young warriors, who were, as 

 we may suppose, perfectly willing to join in such an expedition. During this 

 time, as I have been informed, Te Kauparaha was suffering from some disease, 

 attended with a good deal of physical pain ; but notwithstanding this, and 

 against the suggestions of his father to postpone the expedition until his 

 health was better established, he determined to prosecute it, and the war party 

 advanced into the territory of the Waikatos, with whom, at that time, they 

 were in profound peace. In ignorance of their intentions, their advanced 

 parties were permitted to enter a pa of the enemy, who, however, soon 

 discovering their error, flew to arms, and succeeded in driving them out again 

 with some loss. Te E-auparaha, with the remainder of the taua, seeing 

 the rout of his advanced guard, at once took cover, unperceived by the 

 Waikatos ; and as the latter, in some disorder, were pushing the pursuit, he 

 and his warriors attacked them in flank and rear, and defeated them with 

 much slaughter, at the same time taking many prisoners, amongst whom was 

 Te Haunga, a principal chief, who, with several others, was afterwards killed 

 and eaten " as a relish " to the food apportioned to Marore. The success 

 attending this expedition, and the skill shown by Te Rauparaha in taking 

 advantage of the disorder of the enemy, at once rendered him famous as a 

 Maori warrior ; and from thenceforth he occupied a position of influence, not 

 only with his own immediate tribe, but also Avith those to which it was allied, 

 whilst his growing talents and power were looked upon with much respect 

 and dread by those who had any reason to fear his prowess or his revenge. 

 The event above referred to, naturally led to frequent battles with the 

 Waikatos, in which Ngatitoa^ under Te Rauparaha, were generally successful, 

 although occasionally defeated with considerable loss. 



In the intervals of peace, Te Rauparaha visited his kindred at Maunga- 

 tautari, then under the general leadership of Hape Te Tuarangi, a distin- 

 guished old warrior, who had fought many battles against the Waikato tribes, 

 and particularly one at Kakamutu, on the Waipa, in which the latter were 

 defeated with tremendous slaughter. On the death of Hape, which will be 

 more specially referred to in the sequel, Te Rauparaha married his chief wife, 

 Akau, who became the mother of Tamihana Te Rauparaha, still living at 

 Otaki, from whom I have obtained a large amount of information respecting 

 the career of his celebrated father. Te Rauparaha, also kept np a constant 

 intercourse with his friends at Rotorua, and frequently visited Te Heuheu, 

 who was much impressed with the character of his visitor, and became his fast 

 and valuable ally. Besides this, he made several excursions to the Thames in 

 order to obtain the alliance of Ngatimaru — then a very powerful people, but 

 who were subsequently nearly annihilated by the Ngapuhi from the North, and 

 by Te Waharoa and his Ngaiterangi allies, as mentioned in the last chapter. 



