The Pa Maori
Te Koru Pa
Te Koru Pa
This old fort is situated on the left bank of the Oakura river, south of New Plymouth, the site being a similar one to that of Okoki, though the saddle connecting the hill with the parent ridge is much page 205lower. The small elongated hill which forms the fort is almost surrounded by the river, and cliffs on both sides have much assisted the folk who planned the defences. That extending from A to D is a sheer cliff for most of its length, and from 16 ft. up to 60 ft. or so in height. It was apparently the outermost defence on that side, the lower area inside B, C being a low alluvial flat but a few feet above the level of the river. This flat was probably a residential area or used as a cultivation ground, its stone faced outer scarps being the confining bank of the river.
The whole area of the fort is covered with a dense growth of light bush, seemingly a younger growth than that of Okoki. It is composed principally of rewarewa, kohe, wharangi, karaka, tawhero, mapau, mahoe, hangehange and Cordyline, with a fine growth of mamaku and Hemitelia tree ferns. The dense undergrowth renders exploration and measurement a somewhat tedious task, but the plan given affords a fair illustration of the form and defences of this primitive stronghold. A photograph of Te Koru shows nought but the dense forest growth (see Fig. 54, p. 206) among which appear the great fronds of many lofty tree ferns. This view is from the right of the plan. The series of the terraces is a remarkably fine one, escarpments and fosses are well preserved and the place possesses some unusual features. The most remarkable of such features consists of several stone parapets and a number of stone faced scarps of terraces, the aspect of which may be seen in the illustrations. The Maori seldom utilised stone in such works, though some other instances are known in the Auckland area.
The steep bluffs and perpendicular cliffs extending fron A through V, D, and F right round to W were of great advantage to the fortifiers of Te Koru. See Fig. 55, p. 208. The land neck from A across to W also lent itself to defence, inasmuch as the summit area marked N lies at a considerable height above the flat land south-east of it, and the fall to that flat is an abrupt one, a feature that naturally lent itself to high and steep escarpments. It will be seen that steep scarps are still in evidence, also that strong defences barred the approach of an attacking force by way of the low and narrow saddle connecting the pa with the high ridge to the south.
Not the least interesting item concerning this old fort is the number of food storage pits situated within the defences. These are mostly excavated under the inner scarps of terraces and fosses, thus economising space. They are of the oblate form so often seen on this coast, page 206 page 207with dome-shaped upper parts, circular and most symmetrically formed. The entrance passage is at the side of the contracted upper part, and some of these entrance passages are 3 to 4 ft. in depth.
The low lying river flat on the eastern side is enclosed between the X, C, D line that marked X, V, D, the latter line representing a cliff about 60 ft. high at X and decreasing to about 16 ft. towards D. The flat is covered with very dense forest growth. Its outer edge is the river bank that has been protected by a wall of stones, or faced with stones. Under normal conditions the flat is 4 ft. or 5 ft. above the level of the waters of the river, which flow within 20 ft. of the stone faced bank. At B is an entrance passage from the river bed, probably the ford was opposite this opening. This entrance is a sunk way sloping upwards like a block cutting, and is 10 ft. wide. Entering this passage from the river bed we find a short stone wall flanking it on the right, and a scarped face on the left. The outer line of the flat has its bank faced with stones from 6 to 24 inches in diameter, water-worn stones taken from the adjacent river bed. For a considerable distance a stone wall or parapet has been built on the top of the bank, evidently to raise it as an obstruction, for this superimposed wall is seen at places where the original bank was a low one. Occasionally this outer scarp is as much as 9 ft. in height. The interstices between stones of the parapet appear to have been filled with earth. At C the parapet is 5 ft. high.
At D is encountered the end of the cliff extending from A which here runs out on the river bank, decreasing in height from X to D. Ascending this bluff at the D end we find a fine flat terrace bounded by D, F, G and formed by the excavation of the sloping ridge. Extending from D to E area, the latter being an upper terrace, a part of the original formation 9 ft. wide has been left intact along the bluff head. This stands as a wall, the outer steep scarp of which runs from 14 ft. to 18 ft. in height, and the inner or western scarp 4 ft. to 8 ft. From D to F is a steep cliff 20 ft. and upwards in height, which is the continuation of the A, D cliff, and extends right on to W and beyond. The river flows near the base of the D, F bluff. From F to G is a perpendicular scarp of 10 ft. The wall or causeway from D to E area was apparently left unexcavated in order to preserve the defensive advantage of the bluff scarp, for the alluvial flat at the base of the cliff, if a residential area, could only have been a subsidiary one, to be abandoned in the case of a serious attack.
Proceeding round the base of the D, F cliff the explorer encounters a somewhat unusual feature in Maori forts, a graded road about 8 ft. wide leading upward from the water's edge to give access to the page 208 defended area. This was the main entrance to the fort, on entering which it changes its nature and becomes a sunk way or trench, and continues as such from 3 ft. to 5 ft. in depth to G where it enters the scarp of J, E terrace as a narrow excavated passage 8 ft. deep and 4 ft. wide at the bottom. This entrance passage was certainly so excavated for defensive purposes, and would be flanked by parallel lines of stockades, thus persons entering the fort had to pass along a narrow sunk lane a few feet wide, and at the mercy of any force stationed behind stockades on superior heights at either side. This scheme of defended entrance passage is a most ingenious one. Some similar defence undoubtedly existed higher up the ridge where access was gained to K and M terraces, but no sign of a passage exists from M to O terrace, of which more anon.
The H terrace is another flattened area showing a steep river bluff on the western side, and a stone wall, or rather a stone faced scarp, 5 ft. in height and nearly perpendicular dividing it from terrace I. H area lies at a lower level than that on the northern side of the entrance passage.
page 209Terrace I is from 12 ft. to 20 ft. in width, the southern end of which has an outer wall or parapet 4 ft. high. The inner scarp is 15 ft. in height and is partially stone faced. This terrace terminates on the cliff head, the river being 30 ft. below. A small trench or sunk way seems to have been made down to the river, the upper part of which is also partially stone faced. All these terraces have been excavated out of the slopes of the ridge.
Returning to the passage at G, the ascent to terrace E, J is through the narrow sunk way or trench some 30 ft. in length, the sides of which are partly built up with stones. The end of this terrace over-looks the river flat and along that brink runs a stone faced parapet now 3 ft. in height, outside of which is the steep bluff, here about 16 ft. in height. The terrace is here 40 ft. wide, narrowing to 30 ft. opposite G. Its interior scarp is 8 ft. high and stone faced in some parts. South of the entrance passage this terrace is continued at a somewhat lower level, and 30 ft. to 40 ft. wide, curving round the ridge to end at the river bluff, here about 40 ft. high. The full length of this terrace from bluff to bluff is about 80 yds. Its inner scarp is 8 ft. to 9 ft. high and faced with large stones in some parts. Near the southern end an incurved recess seems to represent a former mode of access to K terrace, the trench being now occupied by two large tree ferns. See Fig. 56. p. 211. Along this terrace storage pits are noted.
Returning to the open space opposite G a sloping approach leads up to terrace K, which is 5 yds. to 8 yds. wide at this end, with an inner scarp of 4 ft. showing stone facing and with 7 or 8 storage pits. As we proceed this terrace widens out, then rises and narrows to run into terrace M above. Its inner scarp is 4 ft. to 8 ft. high and faced with stone to some extent.
The small terrace L is not continued south of the entrance way. It is 12 ft. to 30 ft. wide and 21 yds. long, and it has been excavated round the bluff head with a width of 20 ft. so as to block the approach of terrace M to the cliff, a curious formation.
Ascending to terrace M, along which are seen many storage pits, the northern end is found to be 30 ft. wide. Further on it narrows a little, and presents a steep inner scarp 17 ft. high. It is 50 yds. long from its abrupt end at the incurve of L terrace to the point where K terrace joins it. It then rises and swings round the hill curve to end at the high river cliff. At P is a narrow sunk way 4 ft. wide and 5 ft. deep connecting this terrace with one above it. The sides of this sunk way or passage are built up with stones. All these stone faced walls and scarps are well constructed and form an uncommon feature in native works. The illustrations show their appearance. See Figs. 55a, 56, pp. 210, 211.
page 210The narrow trench-like passages here noted that give access from one terrace to another would probably not interfere with the stockades that extended along the outer scarp of each terrace, but would pass underneath the palisades, and such narrow trenches could be some system of bars.
The sloping approach up the slope from G to M would undoubtedly have defences across it at each terrace level, but it ceases at M terrace, the inner scarp of which is here 15 ft. high and almost vertical. No sign of a passage giving access to O terrace is seen save at the subway above mentioned, where the scarp is much lower than at its northern end.
page 211 page 212Terrace O commences at the high perpendicular cliff with a width of 40 ft. but soon divides into two terraces. The lower one of these is from 20 ft. to 35 ft. wide and 43 yds. long to where it connects with an upper terrace, as shown. The upper branch of O terrace begins with a width of 30 ft. with an eroded inner scarp of 4 ft. to 5 ft. Advancing 17 yds. one notes an old entrance to N area, and 10 yds. further on this terrace practically runs out into N which is the tihi or summit area, the highest part of the fort.
The N area is a level expanse about 40 yds. by 45 yds. in extent and the vertical cliff on the north-east side is probably 70 ft. in height, an admirable defence. The abrupt end of the ridge between A and S has been strongly fortified. Between terrace R and the summit area N rises an almost perpendicular scarp 17 ft. in height, at the immediate base of which runs a narrow trench 3^ ft. to 4 ft. wide in its narrowest parts, 6 ft. at the cliff head, and widening at its western end. It is 5 to 6 ft. deep now and contains a certain depth of detrital material. This moat increases the depth of the scarp to about 22 ft. Why this trench should be so narrow for some distance it is hard to say, for such an aspect is unusual in a native fort; it resembles a European rifle-pit. Under the high inner scarp are seen storage pits. For 30 yds. from the cliff head the trench curves round the scarp base, and further on widens out to 10 ft. and the flat terrace R resolves itself into an earthen wall 8 ft. high, evidently a part of the original formation left intact. About 50 ft. further on the outer wall ends and a terrace extends onward to the summit of a high cliff at the base of which runs the river, and in this vicinity we meet with the series of terraces already described. The A, V, D line is the only face of the fort that does not carry terraces, being a rock cliff.
R is a levelled terrace area 8 yds. in width, the outer scarp of which is an almost perpendicular drop of 16 ft.; a formidable defence. At the base of this barrier is a fosse 6 ft. wide across the bottom and 9 ft. at the top; outer scarp 5 ft. high. This fosse runs from the summit of the cliff, where the height of the latter has dropped to about 30 ft. to the south-west. It slopes upward for 14 yds., and at 75 yds. it widens to 14 ft. bottom width, with an outer scarp of 9 ft., and inner one of 25 ft. At 105 yds. it runs out at the cliff head at W 40 ft. or so above the river. At 25 ft. from the end this fosse is 20 ft. wide at the bottom, outer scarp 11 ft.; inner one 24 ft. This is where it passes through the spur that connects the fort with a high ridge to the south. The huge fosse near W, with the other above it described elsewhere, and that at T, are the defences made to baffle the approach of enemies along this spur. The rapid fall of the spur to the low saddle at T much facilitated the fortifying of this feature.
page 213On the outer side of the A, S fosse is a level area 10 ft. wide and upwards, with an outer scarp of 10 ft. down to the level of the flat. This rampart is the outermost defence. These scarps, when supplemented with stockades, must have been defences practically impassable in pre-gun days.
Passing down the spur from the W fosse, the fosse T is found to be at the low saddle where the spur is only about 16 yds. wide. The sides of the spur have been steeply scarped and would be stockaded along each brow as a security against flank attacks. The T fosse across the low saddle is 12 ft. deep and 10 ft. wide at the bottom, the scarps being steep. From this fosse the spur rises to connect with the high ridge to the south. A little distance up this spur is a huge excavation at U carried half way across the spur. This may be an unfinished fosse or it may have been so designed to lessen the space to be defended. The excavation has been carried in about 35 ft., is 30 ft. wide and 8 to 10 ft. deep. On the western side of this spur is the precipitous river bluff. A path evidently ran from the fort up this spur, and 50 yds above the U excavation is a fosse 20 ft. wide and 12 ft. deep cut across the spur. It is about 25 ft. long and at its eastern end is not cut through the ridge, but a block 6 ft. wide of the original formation has been left as a causeway. This spur must have possessed flank defences of stockading. This was apparently the outermost defence here and 40 yds. further up the spur reaches a small plateau.
On the low flat east of the spur are signs of former native occupation.
It is satisfactory to note that Te Koru has been protected by means of a fence across the base of the point, and also that the dense growth of bush covering it will tend to prevent erosion of the scarps. The stone walls and stone faced escarpments present a very interesting feature well worthy of preservation.
Some interesting notes on this old fort may be found at p. 258 of The History and Traditions of the Taranaki Coast.
In writing of the Koru pa, at Taranaki, Mr. W. H. Skinner remarks:—"This pa probably takes its name from koru, a bend, loop or fold, as it is built on a deep bend of the Oakura river. Koru is unique amongst old Maori strongholds in the Taranaki district, in the kind of protective works adopted; the walls are all built up with rubble work, the stones for which were obtained from the bed of the Oakura which flows immediately beneath. These stone walls, or rather walls faced with stone, run up in some places to a height of 15 ft., and all the minor outworks are faced with stone in the same manner."
page 214Another item of local interest is the old military redoubt at the village of Oakura. This relic of the troublous days of the Maori war against Europeans in the 'sixties' of last century is gradualy becoming effaced. It was evidently a strong place, the earthworks being of a massive type. The fosse or moat outside the ramparts is about 65 yds. long on each face of the square redoubt, its inner scarp 18 ft. in some parts, and outer one 8 to 13 ft. where fairly intact. Earthwork bastions project 10 or 12 ft. at each corner, each of which commands two curtains. The banquette inside the wall is 3 ft. above the level of the interior area, which latter is about 30 yds. square. The banquette is retained by lengths of tree fern trunks inserted in the earth. There seem to be the foundations of small block houses in the bastions.
There are said to be stone faced terraces on the Ohina islet at Mercury Bay, at the head of Okahumoko Bay (Whangaroa), and on the Poor Knights islets.
Stone faced scarps 7 ft. in height are still extant on a small pa at Maunga-turoto, near Ohaeawai. Some stone work is also said to be seen on Motu-taiko, a small island in Lake Taupo. Stone faced terraces are reported from a number of places.
In an account of the Great Barrier Island written by Mr. Weetman, appear some interesting notes on terraced hill slopes seen there:— "There are evidences in various places that the island must have at one time been inhabited by large numbers of the Maori race, for, apart from the remains of several pa, some of which in the rockiest places are built up of loose rocks, instead of being entrenched by digging as usual, there are places in the forest, notably at Korotiti on the east coast, which mark the site of their old habitations and cultivations, the slopes of the hills being terraced, and the ground supported by stone facing. In other places enclosures are fenced in by stone walls, which are as straight and well built as those constructed by Europeans. Out of these enclosures large trees are growing, more than a foot in diameter. … There are also, in places now likewise covered by forest, large heaps of stones, which had evidently been collected from the surface prior to cultivating the land."
The following is from Judge Fenton's Orakei Judgment:— "About the year 1720, a great chief of Waiohua or Nga Iwi was living at One Tree Hill, where he had a pa the trenches of which may be seen to this day. His people held pa, or positions of defence, formed by large ditches, and protected by stakes, and in some places by stone walls, at Maunga-Kiekie (One Tree Hill), Maunga-rei page 215(Mt. Wellington), Mangere, Ihu-matao, Onehunga, Remu-wera, Omahu, Te Umu-ponga, Kohi-marama, Te To, Rarotonga, Te Tatua, Owairaka and other places."
Stone faced scarps have been seen in a number of old Maori forts at different places, though it will probably be found that walls or parapets constructed entirely of stones are rare. The late Archdeacon Walsh informed us that Mr. Charles Spencer, during surveying operations, has seen on the rough coast line between Cabbage Bay and Cape Colville, a number of old pa of peculiar structure, a conspicuous feature of which is the extensive use of stone walls. Mr. Spencer's account is that the main pa examined by him, for there are several in the vicinity, is situated on a narrow ridge and that in excavating the deep trenches at either end the natives had to work a stiff soil containing many stones and boulders. With these they faced the scarps of the fosse, the stones being carefully arranged and packed in with earth, so as to present a massive and imposing face to the stronghold.
Mr. W. McKay has informed the writer that he saw stone walled, i.e. stone faced terraces on the eastern slope of a forest clad limestone ridge about two miles from the homestead at Wai-marama, H.B. and about the same distance from the coast. They are overgrown with trees. The top of the ridge was not examined; an examination of it might reveal some old fortified places.
A number of stone walls seen by Mr. McKay near Port Charles in 1896, composed of loosely piled stones, seem to resemble those of the far north. In some cases two such have but a narrow lane between them, some are detached and apparently purposeless, others form enclosures like stockyards. We can only suppose that these lands were used for cultivation purposes and that the stones, piled into low walls, served possibly as breakwinds, apart from the necessity of clearing the land of them. The kumara plant, in exposed situations, had to be protected by breakwinds. Much of this land is overgrown with trees.
Further notes on such stonework defences will be found in the Journal of the Polynesian Society, vol. XXIX., p. 41; also vol. XXX., p. 164. The Nga-Weka pa at Stony River also shows stone faced scarps.