76 Transactions. 



the real designs of Rauparaha's party, determined the people in the pa to 

 strike a blow which would prevent Eanparaha from further prosecuting his 

 design, at least at that time ; and, for this purpose, they resolved to kill the 

 chiefs then in the pa, amongst whom, besides Te Pehi, were Pokaitara, Te Ara- 

 tangata, of Ngatiraukawa, and others of note. Pokaitara had taken to wife 

 from amongst the prisoners at Kaikoura the daughter of Pongatara, one of 

 the Ngaitahu chieftains then in the pa, and having been invited to the house 

 of the latter under pretext of receiving a present of gTeen-stone, proceeded 

 thither without suspicion of foul play. As he stooped to enter the house the 

 old chief, Pongatara, took hold of his mat, saying, "Welcome, welcome, my 

 daughter's lord," at the same time killing him by a blow on the head with the 

 green-stone club which he expected to have received as a gift. The death of 

 Pokaitara was the signal for a general slaughter of the Ngatitoa chiefs, who 

 were at once despatched, their bodies being destined to the umus of their 

 murderers. The slaughter of his uncle, and of so many of his leading chiefs, 

 was a severe blow to Rauparaha, who, with the rest of his party, at once fell 

 back on Omihi, where he re-united his forces. In part revenge for the 

 murder, he at once slew all the prisoners, and, after devouring their bodies, 

 returned to the Wairau, from whence they crossed over to Kapiti. The 

 Ngaitahu account of the origin of the quarrel is different, and I give it from a 

 petition presented, in 1869, to the House of Representatives, by Patterson, 

 then Maori member for the Southern Maori Electoral District. The petition 

 refers to a letter addressed to Patterson by the runanga, or local council, of the 

 Maoris living near the European village of Kaiapoi, which is situated on the 

 banks of the Waimakariri River, some miles north of the pa above referred 

 to. The following is the text of the letter, which I give nearly entire, as 

 being of much interest in connection with my story : — 

 " To Patterson, — 



" friend, salutations to you, and to the Assembly, that is to say, the 

 great chiefs who work for justice and truth. 



"O sir, this is the matter which we submit to you, do you publish it to 

 the Assembly, so that the great doctors may examine this disease. The 

 disease is the sale by Ngatitoa of this land. 



" After you had left, the runanga gave their attention to the question of 

 the affliction under which they are suffering, and now it is submitted to the 

 great doctor to be prescribed for by him. Had the defeat of the people at 

 this land been equal to that of the people of Rangitikei and Manawatu by Te 

 Rauparaha and Ngatiraukawa, where the people were killed and the land was 

 taken possession of, and has been kept up to this time, then it would have 

 been right that we should suffer under this affliction. But, as for the defeat 

 of the natives of Kaiapoi, the Maori runanga consider that it is very clear 



