W. T. L. Travers. — The Life and Times of Te Rauparaha. 61 



leading chiefs who accompanied Kauparalia, was Kangihaieta, who, as will be 

 remembered, had, during the previous invasion, taken prisoner a Ngatiapa 

 woman of rank named Pikinga, whom he had made his slave-wife. When 

 her brothers heard of the arrival of Ngatitoa at Wanganui, they, with 

 a party numbering altogether twenty men, came to meet her, and accom- 

 panied Ngatitoa as far as the Rangitikei river, for, as the weather con- 

 tinued extremely fine, Te Rauparaha thought it desirable to push the 

 advance as rapidly as possible. On arriving at the mouth of the E-angitikei 

 the people rested for some days, those in the canoes landing for that 

 purpose. During this rest, armed parties were sent inland, in various 

 directions, for the purpose of capturing any stray people whom they could 

 find, in order that they might be killed and eaten ; but these parties found 

 the country nearly deserted, the remnant of the original tribes having taken 

 refuge in the fastnesses of the interior. Te E-auparaha then pushed on to 

 the mouth of the Manawafcu, where he and his people again halted, parties 

 here, also, going inland in search of Rangitane, with the same intentions with 

 which they had previously soiight the Ngatiapa, and with very much the same 

 result. Their next stage was Ohau, where Ngatitoa settled until after they 

 had taken Kapiti, as will be mentioned in the sequel. During this time the 

 Muaupoko occupied the country inland of Ohau and stretching to the 

 Manawatu River, having a pa on Lake Horowhenua, and on the banks of 

 Lake Papaitanga, which is close to it. Shortly after Rauparaha had settled 

 at Ohau two of the chiefs of Muaupoko visited him, and offered, if he would 

 come over to their pa at Papaitanga, to make him a present of several large 

 canoes. He was extremely delighted at this offer, and at once consented to 

 go. Rangihaieta, however, endeavoured to dissuade him, saying, " Raha, I 

 have had a presentiment that you will be murdered by Muaupoko," but 

 Rauparaha laughed at his fears ; and, attracted by the prospect of obtaining 

 the canoes — which had been glowingly described to him by the two chiefs — ' 

 would not listen to any suggestions against the proposed visit. He even 

 refused to take any large force with him, confining himself to a few men, and 

 to some of his own children. It appears, however, that a plot had been laid 

 between Turoa and Paetahi (father of Mete Kingi, lately one of the Maori 

 members of the Assembly), chiefs of the Wanganui tribes, and the leading 

 chiefs of the Muaupoko, to murder Te Rauparaha, and the invitation to 

 Papaitanga, with the offer o^ the canoes, were only steps in the plot for that 

 purpose. It is quite clear that he apprehended no danger, and that he fell 

 into the trap laid for him with wonderful facility. It was evening when he 

 and his companions arrived at the pa, where they were received by Toheriri, 

 at whose house Rauparaha was to sleep. His people were all accommodated 

 in different parts of the pa, Rauparaha alone remaining with Toheriri, The 



