MAMAKU. 
557 
The murder made a great sensation, but no one ventured 
there that night to see what had been done ; the following 
morning, several of the settlers, officers, and Putiki natives, 
with the schoolmaster of the Mission Station, went to the 
scene of this tragedy ; they met the two children on their 
way to the Mission-house, and afterwards found the eldest 
daughter, to their amazement, still alive, with the baby in 
her lap, covered with her blood, although the cleft in her 
skull extended fully six inches from the bridge of the nose to 
the forehead ; the cold of the night had staunched the blood 
and saved her life, she recovered, but had a fearful broad 
seam, nearly a third of an inch wide, as a lasting remem- 
brance of that dreadful night ; she and the two infants with 
the corpses were brought to the town ; immediately the 
natives heard of the murder, Hoani Wirimu and the Putiki 
Chiefs held a meeting; they resolved to capture the mur- 
derers, as the best way of proving their innocence of the 
crime. 
They crossed over the same night, and made the officer 
in command acquainted with their intention ; at first he 
strangely refused his consent, but by the advice of his brother 
officers, at last gave his permission. Hoani Wirimu, taking 
several determined young men with him, set off with- 
out loss of time, selecting a light and swift canoe, they 
paddled up the river, justly supposing they would hasten 
that way into the interior, calling at every place to enquire, 
and were not mistaken; on reaching Ikunikau, they told 
a feigned tale to the natives of that place, who immedi- 
ately manned a large canoe, and continued the pursuit : at 
last, the murderers were perceived ; the Putiki natives laid 
down in the canoe, lest, being recognized, the object of their 
journey should be suspected; on coming alongside, they 
jumped up and seized them ; a struggle ensued, and the 
canoe was capsized, they however retained their grasp, and 
secured five of the murderers, one escaped, having pre- 
viously left their company, they bound their prisoners, 
and hastened back ; on reaching Waipakura, Maketu wanted 
them to stay there for the night, but when they declined 
