72 Transactions. — Miscellaneous, 



liidden by the cross beams, they awaited the coming of the doomed men. 

 At break of day the two approached ; Puraho being in advance was the first to 

 turn and sit on the beam, and Manawa was about to do the same, when he 

 was startled and prevented by tlie uprising of the warrior under Puraho, 

 who killed that chief by a sudden blow on the back of the head. Manawa 

 immediately fled and escaped into the pa. 



The death of Puraho convinced Ngai Tahu of the insecurity of their 

 position at Moioio, and they determined to abandon it and to remove to te 

 Kane, at the mouth of the Wairau river, where they built a strongly fortified 

 pa. As soon as they had provided for the safety of their families, they 

 began to take measures for avenging the death of Puraho, and the women 

 so mercilessly slaughtered by Ngaitara. 



Commencement of War luith Ngatimamoe. 

 They first attacked a neighbouring pa, and captured it. Amongst the 

 prisoners was the chief Te Eapa a te kuri, who was brought by his captors 

 to Maru, in order that he might have the satisfaction of putting him to 

 death as utu for his father and sister. But contrary to "their expectations, 

 and to the annoyance and disgust of everyone, Maru spared the x^risoner's 

 life. Waitai was so exasperated by his culpable leniency, that he immedi- 

 ately withdrew with 300 followers, and sailed away to the south, 

 settling for a time at Pukekura. On taking his departure he warned those 

 who remained against a leader who would encourage them to attack his 

 enemies and then deprive them of their right to put their captives to death. 

 " I will never again join with Maru," he said, " but will fight my enemies 

 where I shall not be interfered with." Though considerably weakened by the 

 secession of Waitai, Ngai Tahu wished to continue the war, but were 

 opposed by Maru, who, being related to Ngaitara, did not like to see them 

 crushed. While the Ngai Tahu chiefs were disputing about then- future plans, 

 Te Kane and Tau hiku went out one day to fish, in order to silence the cries 

 of their grandchildren for a change of food. They had not gone far from 

 the shore when both canoes were enveloped in a fog ; the crews could hear 

 the splashing of the paddles, but could not see each other ; they succeeded, 

 however, in reaching the fishing ground, and Tau hiku was the first to drop 

 his anchor, and just as Te Kane was about to do the same, he became 

 aware that they were being pursued, and that the sound of paddling 

 proceeded from canoes sent after them by Ngatimamoe. Te Kane turned 

 at once and pulled towards the shore, but Tau hiku was surrounded and 

 taken prisoner. A running fight was then maintained between Te Kane's 

 canoe and Ngatimamoe. The fog prevented the position of affairs being 

 seen from the shore, where Ngai Tahu were in complete ignorance of the 

 danger their friends were in, though, as the canoes approached the land, 

 sounds of strife reached their ears. 



