348 
Mythology of 
And this is said to be an uto , or serving them as they 
had served the Ngapuhis before; which I believe was 
done at the time that dreadful disease called Marepa 
visited the Island. The Ngapuhis were afflicted with it; 
but it had not reached the Ngatiwatua at that time, who, 
hearing of the afflicted state of the Ngapuhis, went and 
cut off a whole pa, and dealt with some of them in the 
manner above mentioned. Hongi returned to the Bay 
of Islands from this expedition on the 25th of March, 
1826, the day that I first arrived in the country. 
They had not been home above three months before they 
were off again to pursue the fugitives, who had fled to the 
Waikato for protection. When the Ngapuhis arrived, 
the Waikato, fearing perhaps lest they should bring upon 
themselves the vengeance of the Ngapuhis, not only gave 
up the poor creatures to destruction whom they had 
taken under their protection, but also did their part 
towards destroying them. These wretched men were thus 
hunted like a partridge upon the mountains. A few 
months afterwards the few that survived, finding none to 
help or protect them, came to the Bay of Islands, 
amongst their greatest enemies, craving protection from 
them. The news soon reached the Waimati, and in a 
short time Ilongi, and a good party with him, were on 
their way to Kerikeri, to go thence to Kororareka, and to 
cut them all off. But about two hours before Hongi 
reached Kerikeri these poor creatures arrived there, under 
the escort of Patuone, a chief of Hokianga ; and Hongi, 
finding them at his own place, had too much honour and 
pride to allow them to be touched. Many of Hongi’s 
party gnashed upon them with their teeth, and, no doubt, 
felt not a little mortified in not being permitted to imbrue 
their hands in their blood, On the Monday they were 
permitted to depart, with their protector, Patuone, to go 
to Hokianga ; but one of Hongi’s party, as if determined 
