72 Transactions. 



of the Rangitane tribe, which had settled in these places after destroying 

 the JSTgatimamoe some 200 years before. But though numerous, and in 

 that sense powerful, so long as their warfare was carried on with the ordinary 

 New Zealand weapons, they were no match for the chosen warriors of 

 Te Rauparaha, more particularly when armed with the more deadly European 

 weapons. The consequence was that they were everywhere disastrously 

 defeated, hundreds of them being killed and devoured on the spot, whilst 

 numbers of the prisoners were taken to Kapiti to undergo the same fate, the 

 wretched remnant being kept in abject slavery by such of their conquerors as 

 settled in the newly acquired district. 



Whilst R-auparaha was engaged in these operations Te Pehi returned from 

 England, and at once joined him with a considerable number of followers. 

 Shortly after this the main force divided, a subdivision of»the Ngatitoa named 

 the Ngatirarua hapu, under Niho and Takerei, the Puketapu and Nutiwai 

 hapus of Ngatiawa, under Te Koihua, and the Ngatitama, under Te Puoho, 

 proceeding to Blind and Massacre Bays — and whose exploits will be hereafter 

 referred to — whilst E-auparaha, Te Pelii, and other chiefs, with 300 well 

 armed men, flushed with victory, and grown strong upon human flesh, left 

 Bangitoto for the Kaikoura Peninsula, in order to aflbrd to Berewhaka the 

 opportunity of putting his long made threat into execution. But the Ngatitoa 

 chief felt sure of a comparatively easy victory, for notwithstanding a great 

 numerical superiority on the part of the enemy, he knew that they were 

 indifierently, if at all, supplied with fire-arms, whilst the great bulk of his 

 own men were well furnished with guns, powder, and ball. It will be 

 observed that, in accordance with the well known habit of the New Zealanders, 

 Rauparaha had never forgotten Berewhaka's curse, and he felt highly elated 

 at the prospect of a revenge, which the force at his command rendered almost 

 certain. But besides this prospect of vengeance, and the anticipated additional 

 gratification of devouring the bodies of the slain, he expected to acquire large 

 quantities of green-stone weapons and ornaments, in which, as he had been 

 informed by the slave who had reported Rerewhaka's foolish boast, the 

 Ngaitahu of the Kaikoura and Amuri were especially rich, for notwithstanding 

 the introduction of fire-arms into their system of warfare, the mere pounamu, 

 or green-stone battle-axe, and other implements of war manufactured from that 

 substance, was then, and indeed always has been, held in great estimation 

 by the Maoris. Rauparaha, therefore, longed to add the acquisition of such 

 treasures to the gratification which he would derive from wreaking vengeance 

 upon the Ngaitahu chieftain, for the insult under which he had so long 

 sufiered. 



As my readers are probably aware, the green-stone or nephrite, from 

 which the more valuable of the weapons in question are made, is found 



