Stack. — Traditional History of the South Island Maoris. G5 



the Awatopa clan who settled there, and to Ngapuhi hrougii Muru nui, 

 who was connected with Maru kore, one of their ancestors. 



During the Ngatimamoe occux^ation, an event occurred which seems to 

 throw some light upon the origin of the Chatham Islanders : — 



Tradition says that a canoe, manned entirely by chiefs whose names are 

 forgotten, but who are known now as "Nga toko ono," or The Six, went 

 out from Parakakariki to fish, and when a long way off fi-om the shore a 

 violent nor'west wind sprung up and drove theiaa out to sea, and they were 

 never heard of again. It is not at all improbable that this canoe reached 

 the Chathams, and that the crew became the progenitors of one section of 

 the present inhabitants. Te Koti, a Maori Wesleyan minister who was 

 stationed for some years on the principal island, states that the Morioris 

 have preserved the names of many of the headlands around Akaroa, and 

 that they number Mamoa (probably a corruption of Mamoe) amongst their 

 ancestors. It is an interesting fact that many of the words in use by the 

 Morioris are nearer akin to the Karotongan form than the Maori equivalent. 



It is quite clear that the Ngatimamoe, like the Ngai Tahu, came from 

 the east coast of the North Island. How long it was before their 

 possession of this island was disputed it is hard to guess correctly; but 

 judging from their numbers, and the total subjugation of Waitaha to their 

 rule when the Ngai Tahu appear on the scene, they could not have held it 

 for less than 100 years. 



A small tribe called Ngaitara were the first to make alliances with 

 Ngatimamoe, and were the cause of Ngai Tahu crossing the straits. 



Reliable Traditions. 

 Ngai Tahu. — Causes that led to their Migration. 



About the year 1650 we find the Ngai Tahu located at Hataitai, between 

 what is now called Wellington Harbour and the coast. In this pa 

 dwelt a band of warriors renowned for courage and daring, whose war- 

 like propensities had made them rather obnoxious to thek kinsmen and 

 neighbours, the Ngatikahununu. Among this band dwelt an old chief 

 named Kahukura te paku, who was connected with the Ngaitara tribe, 

 then settled at Waimea, in the South Island. His son, Tu maro, was 

 married to Eakai te kura, daughter of Tama ihu poro, the seventh from 

 Tahu, the founder of the tribe. Shortly after his marriage Tu maro was 

 called away for a time from Hataitai ; and during his absence his wife, 

 who was jDi^egnant, contracted an improper intimacy with Te ao hikiu-aki. 

 Tu maro returned just before his wife gave birth to a child, and, being 

 ignorant of her misconduct, proceeded, when the pains of labour began, to 

 repeat the customary charms to aid delivery. Ha\dng exhausted his store 

 of charms, and repeated aU the genealogies of his ancestors in vain, he 



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