68 Transactions. 



After remaining with Eauparalia for some months he returned to Taupo with 

 part of his followers, where he reported the improved position of Ngatitoa, 

 and urged his own section of the tribe to join them. Finding them still 

 unwilling to do so, and being determined to effect his object, he ordered the 

 whole of their houses and stores to be burned down, declaring it to be the will 

 of the atua or spirit, angry at their refusal to obey the words of their chief. 

 This being done the people gave way, and he took the necessary measures for 

 the journey. In the meantime Whatanui and Te Heuheu had also determined 

 to visit E,auparaha, in order to inspect the country he had conquered ; the 

 former chieftain intending, if it met his approval, to carry out his original 

 design of joining the jSTgatitoa in its occupation. In pursuance of this 

 determination they, with a strong force of their ov/n warriors, joined Te Ahu 

 Karamu's party, the whole travelling down the Rangitikei Hiver along the 

 route followed by Te Ahu on his previous journey. During this journey they 

 attacked and killed any of the original inhabitants whom they happened to 

 fall in with. This migration is known amongst the Ngatiraukawa as the 

 heke whirinui, owing to the fact that the lohiri, or plaited collars of their 

 mats, were made very large for the journey. Amongst the special events 

 which occurred on the march was the capture of a Ngatiapa woman and two 

 children, on the south side of the Kangitikei. The unfortunate children were 

 sacrificed during the performance of a solemn religious rite ; and the woman, 

 though in the first instance saved by Te Heuheu, who wished to keep her as a 

 slave, was killed and eaten by Tangaru, one of the Ngatiraukawa leaders. 

 Shortly after this Ta Wliiro, one of the greatest of the jSTgatiapa chiefs, with 

 two women, were taken prisoners, and the former was put to death with great 

 ceremony and cruelty, as utu for the loss of some of Te Heuheu's j)eople who 

 had been killed by the J^gatiapa long before, but the woDien were spared. On 

 the arrival of this heke at Kapiti, Te Heuheu and Whatanui held a long 

 conference with the Ngatitoa chieftains, and Whatanui was at last persuaded 

 to bring down his people. For this purpose he and Te Heuheu returned to 

 Taupo, some of the party passing across the Manawatu Block, so as to strike 

 the Hangitikei River inland, whilst the others travelled along the beach to 

 the mouth of that river, intending to join the inland party some distance up. 

 The inland party rested at Rangataua, where a female relative of Te Heuheu, 

 named Reremai, famed for her extreme beauty, died of wounds inflicted upon 

 her during the journey by a stray band of JSTgatiapa. A great tangi was held 

 over her remains, and Te Heuheu caused her head to be jjreserved, he himself 

 calcining her brains and strewing the ashes over the land, which he declared 

 to be for ever tapu. His people were joined by the party from the beach road 

 at the junction of the Waituna with the Rangitikei, where the chief was 

 presented with three Kgatiapa prisoners, who had been taken during the 



