W. T. L. Travers. — Tlie Life and Times of Te Rauparaha. 71 



Ngatiraukawa, proceeded thither and attacked them, killing many and taking 

 a number of others prisoners, amongst whom was Toheriri, their chief. 

 Toheriri's wife composed a lament on the occasion of the death of her hnsband, 

 which is still recited amongst the Maoris. In this song she reflected on the 

 broken promise of Tuauaine, who, though very sad at this slaughter, was 

 entirely unable to prevent it. I merely mention this incident here, in order 

 to show that lapse of time had in no degree weakened the revengeful feelings 

 of Rauparaha, and that he considered the manes of his murdered children 

 insufficiently appeased by the slaughter of the hundreds whom he had already 

 sacrificed. 



In about a year after the visit of Whatanui with Te Heuheu the former 

 returned to Kapiti with the main body of his tribe, this migration being 

 known as the heke nhaiTaro, or '' heke from below," the north point being 

 always treated by the Maoris as downward. From that time forth for some 

 years parties of the same tribe constantly recruited their countrymen in their 

 settlements on the Manawatu, gradually extending their occupation over the 

 whole country between Otaki and Rangitikei, although their chief stations 

 were in the Horowhenua and Ohau districts ; whilst the Ngatiapa, under the 

 protection of Rangihaeata and Taratoa, occupied some country on the north 

 of the Rangitikei, yielding tribute to both of these chiefs as a condition of 

 their being left in peace. 



Not long after the arrival of Whatanui with the heJce mairaro, Rauparaha 

 put in execution his long meditated project of invading and permanently 

 occupying the northern coasts of the Middle Island. It appears that his 

 fame as a warrior had reached the ears of Rerewhaka, a great chief of the 

 Ngaitahu, whose principal settlement was at the Kaikoura Peninsula. This 

 chief had been excessively indignant at the defeat of the allies at Waiorua, 

 and on hearing of the song of triumph, chanted by Rauparaha on that 

 occasion, in which the latter indicated his intention of attacking and subduing 

 the Ngaitahu, he had declared " that if Rauparaha dared to set a foot in his 

 country he would rip his belly with a niho-manga, or shark's tooth," a curse 

 which was reported to Rauparaha by a run-away slave, and which — his 

 memory for small matters being remarkably tenacious — would afibrd him, at 

 any distance of time, ample pretext and indeed justification for attacking 

 Rerewhaka and his people. In 1828, having accumulated a considerable 

 quantity of fire-arms and ammunition, he started with 340 picked warriors, 

 comprising Ngatitoa, Ngatiawa, Ngatitama, and Ngatiraukawa, under Niho, 

 the son of Te Pehi, Takerei, Te Kanae, Te Koihua, Te Puoho, and other chiefs 

 of note, and first made for D'Urville Island, at the north-east head of Blind 

 Bay. At this time D'Urville Island, the Pelorus and Queen Charlotte 

 Sounds, the Wairau and the Awatere, were all occupied by a numerous section 



