Stack. — Traditional Hisionj of the South Island Maoris. 83 



conflagration. Under cover of the smoke, the Ngai Tahii entered and a 

 general massacre ensued. Amongst those who fled was Tu mataiao. Tu te 

 uretira, mindful of his former boast, pursued after him, and this time 

 caught him. " Let me live," he begged. " Ah ! was it not you who said 

 I could not catch by morning the feet moving like the swift quivering 

 raupo ? Come with me to the camp." Arrived there, Maru beckoned for 

 Tu mataiao to be brought to his side, where he made room for him upon 

 his mat. The poor wretch thought his life was now safe, when to his 

 dismay Maru the merciful rose up, and, addi'essing the tribe, said — " Here, 

 take your food, only take care first to burn off the skin that has nestled 

 beside that of your sister." Tu mataiao was then seized and put to death 

 and eaten. 



Weakened by successive defeats the Ngatimamoe gradually retired 

 southwards, and we do not hear of tlieii* making any very determined stand 

 between the fall of Pakihi, or Pari whakatau, and the great battle on the 

 banks of the Aparima thirty years afterwards, when their forces were 

 completely annihilated, although constant petty encounters between the 

 two contending tribes continued up to the very last. It was during this 

 interval that the fugitives fi-om Pakihi are said to have lived in caves, where 

 traces of their occupation are shown in the rude drawings overlying those 

 of a more ancient date ; the reason given for their choosing such temporary 

 shelter being that they thought they were less likely to be attacked, and if 

 they were they would be in a better position to escape. Tukiauau, who 

 escaped with his son and a few^ followers, separated from the main body of 

 fugitives and went down to the Wailiora lake where he built a pa. While 

 there his son Koroki whiti made the acquamtance of Haki te kura, the 

 daughter of the chief whose pa stood at the mouth of the Taiari. This 

 maiden, unknown to her friends, used to meet her lover on the sands when 

 the tide was low, and these clandestine meetings continued up to the time 

 of Tukiauau's departure further south ; for, hearing rumours of Ngai Tahu 

 movements, he became alarmed and determined to place himself beyond 

 pursuit. Accordingly he abandoned his pa at Waihora and embarked with 

 his followers in a large war canoe. As they were passing below her father's 

 pa, Haki te kura, eager to join her lover, jumped off the cliff into the water, 

 but in doing so either fell upon a rock or on the edge of the canoe and was 

 killed. Tu wiri roa, overwhelmed with grief and rage, swore to destroy the 

 man who was the cause of his daughter's death. Waiting for a while to 

 lull suspicion he followed in Tukiauau's wake, but could not for a long 

 time discover his retreat, which was at length betrayed by the smoke of a 

 fire on the island of Eakiura. Concealing himself behind some islets he 

 v/aited till a canoe, manned by a large number of persons, came out to fish- 



