the New Zealanders . 
343 
cular, as they occurred from the time of their arrival in 
the land to the period of our visiting New Zealand. Only 
those of a very recent date appear to he known to the 
present generation. Perhaps some very old men, whom 
I have not yet had an opportunity of consulting, may be 
able to give some account of their wars of a more 
distant period. The only battles of which I have been able 
to get information happened about 60 years ago, as nearly 
as I can guess ; nor have I heard of any of a more re¬ 
mote date ; though undoubtedly there always have been 
wars amongst them ever since they have been a people. 
It is stated that the Taranake and all the adjacent tribes 
joined together and made an attack upon the Waikato. 
Both parties fought in the open field, and it is said a thou¬ 
sand* men fell in that engagement. The battle is known by 
the name of Mangeo. Another bloody battle is said to 
have been fought between two parties of W aikato natives ; 
one party was in the fortification, the other attacked it: 
those in the fortification were completely routed, and few 
escaped. It is supposed that a thousand men were slain at 
that time. This is known by the name of Taipouri. The 
tribe that fought in the fortification does not count above 
twenty fighting men at the present time. Another battle 
is stated to have been fought between the Thames and 
Waikato natives, in the open field, perhaps a little subse¬ 
quent to those above mentioned, where neither party or 
both claimed the day. Another was fought between two 
parties of Waikato natives, at which time two hundred are 
supposed to have fallen. These, of course, do not include 
numerous other skirmishes and battles in which the tens, 
the twenties, the thirties, and the forties have fallen ; 
nor do they include battles fought in other parts of the 
island,—which, perhaps, have been equally numerous. 
* 1000 is very often an indefinite number, a great many, but it 
is not known how many. 
