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The Pa Maori

The Tapa-huarau Pa

The Tapa-huarau Pa

From the low saddle at the southern extremity of Taka-poruruku the spur rises to a ridge lying east and west parallel with the road. This ridge has been fortified and occupied from its supporting spur at its eastern extremity westward to where a low saddle connects it with a high range. There are really three tihi or summit areas in this extent, each of which would undoubtedly have a distinguishing name. All the old forts in this vicinity are said to have been occupied by the Ngati-Pou clan. Though connected by residential areas probably stockaded, yet each of the three fortified summits, with its attendant terraces and outworks was really a self-contained fort in itself. Commencing at the eastern extremity of the ridge we describe the first summit fort with its outworks, distinguishing it as Tapa-huarau No. 1 pa. See Fig. 66, p. 251. From the summit of this fortified area a flank spur trends down to the flat on the eastern side. The greater part of that spur has been included in the pa; its lower parts carry a gentle slope, but nearer the summit the rise is a steep one and the scarps higher. Its southern or S.W. side is a very steep slope of about one in one, hence it carries no terrace formation and was easy to defend. The other side has a much easier descent and was excavated into a fine series of residential terraces.

Proceeding from the tee of the spur near the Titaha stream, one ascends the spur for about 150 yds. to a diminutive terrace formation 80 ft. above the flat. This may or may not have been stockaded for defence; if not then the first line of defence was the scarp page 251 Fig. 66—Tapa-huarau No. 1 Pa, Taiamai district, North Auckland. (See p. 250.) Miss E. Richardson page 252of the area marked 3. (As we proceed up the spur the right hand is termed the northern side, though really facing about N.E.) The spur continues as a narrow ridge as far as the western part of area 6, where it merges into the slope of the hillside, and this has been taken advantage of in order to excavate a series of terraces connected with the small fortified areas on the spur top and the brow of the steep southern slope.

At the eastern end of area 3 is a scarp of from 9 ft. to 12 ft. in height, at the base of which is a trench 12 yds. long cut across the spur top. It is now but 2 ft. deep and seems to contain much debris, the result of erosion of the scarped face. Of course none of the scarps retain their original features in these forts not protected by a forest growth. By processes of abrasion and erosion scarp brows have been reduced and the base of each has thus acquired a form of talus that much reduces the angle of the lower part of the scarp.

The fosse at 1 is carried on as far as 2 for 15 yds. It is now 2 ft. deep; inner or true scarp 9 ft. The fosse then develops into a terrace running along the N.E. slope of the spur and then angling off northward round the wide face of the hill.

Area 3 is the lowest and outermost fortified area of the pa. It is 12 yds. by 11yds. in size and quite level. Along its three outer edges, on the scarp brows, are the remains of parapets from 1 ft. to 4 ft. in height. These extra defences of this area have been formed in order to strengthen this exposed salient. A force attacking from this side could not advance up the extremely steep southern slope, which has a fall of about one in one, and on the northern side was a double line of defence. Hence the advance would be up the ridge of the spur and so the salient area 3 would be the principal point of attack. The defenders of this area, stationed ten feet or more above their opponents, and protected by parapets and stockades, would be holding a position that was practically impregnable in pre-gun days. Along the inside of the northern parapet there seems to have been a banquette (a highly unusual feature), possibly owing to the superior height of the wall on that side. In most cases the means of communication between the different areas cannot now be located on account of the tracks formed by the passage of stock, and erosion.

Area 4 is divided from 3 by a low scarp of 2 ft. and is another artificially levelled area 8 yds. by 13 yds. in extent. This area loses the parapet defences and depended on scarp and stockade, as did the upper ones.

Area 5 is but 1½ ft. higher than 4, another levelled area 30 yds. long, on which is an old store pit 18 ft. by 14 ft. Its northern side shows a scarped face of 12 ft. below which the terrace runs 16 ft. page 253wide. The southern side is still the same high steep bluff which continues right along to area 13, the highest one. Opening out of the western end of area 5 is a terrace that runs under area 6 and above the first terrace to swing round to the north in sympathy with the latter.

A scarp of 4 ft. lifts us to area 6 another levelled expanse 30 yds. long and 8 yds. to 13 yds. wide. The narrowness of its eastern end is owing to the excavation of the terrace on the northern side. A hut site seems to be yet discernible at the western end. Another terrace opens out of area 6 and extends round the hill side above the two already mentioned.

A steep scarp of 6 ft. lifts us to area 7 which is 13 yds. long but is in two levels as denoted by the slight scarp across the middle. These upper terraces are less extensive than the lower ones on account of the steepness of the hillside. A terrace also runs from this area round the hillside to the north. There is probably another terrace between it and the upper one from area 9, but so dense is the growth of gorse on the hillside that the investigator decided not to explore that terrace.

A scarp 5 ft. in height advances us to area 8, about 13 yds. by 6 yds., a small level terrace excavated in the steep slope. A stone fire place marks the site of one of the old time huts.

Another steep scarp of 7 ft. brings us to area 9, a little terrace 6 yds. wide, with the remains of a parapet on its S. and E. edges about 2 ft. high. These parapets are apparently much abraded. N. and S. this little terrace is 8 yds. long, its northern limit being a sudden rise of 3 ft. which lands us on a fine terrace 18 ft. wide running round the hillside as shown on the plan. It rises about 3 ft. in the first 50 ft. a peculiarity noted in some of the other terraces.

A steep scarp of 12 ft. in height brings us to terrace 10, a somewhat dilapidated one 8 yds. wide. It runs round the hill face to the north but soon narrows to 6 yds. The brow of this area is much abraded. The outer scarps of terraces 10, 11 and 12 show deep depressions (marked on plan) that look like entrance passages. Further examination of these terraces would be interesting work but would necessitate clearing away the furze growth. They were all residential areas on which formerly stood long rows of huts. Some of the stone fireplaces still extant show that the huts containing them must have stood near the inner scarp leaving the outer portion of the terrace open for passage and for defenders, in case of an attack.

Another scarp of 11 ft. brings the explorer up to area 11 which is 8 yds. wide at the south end and extends round the hill to the northern extremity of the summit area (marked 13 D) thence right round page 254the western side of 13 area to the bluff head. It is from 16 ft. to 33 ft. in width. Terrace 10 seems to run just below it for the greater part of the way, but the heavy growth of furze prevented a careful examination.

Terrace 12 has an 11 ft. scarp and its southern end is 8 yds. square. Proceeding northwards we descend a 2 ft. scarp and find a terrace with a down grade and diminishing in width until it joins terrace 11 as shown on the plan.

Above 12 rises a steep scarp 12 ft. in height and on the summit one reaches the tihi or highest part of the fort. This summit area, the citadel and final defence, is composed of various sub-areas, marked 13 to 13 D on the plan. The southern face of the summit is 24 yds. long; it is the brow line of a steep and high bluff. Sub-area 13 is divided into several levelled spaces as shown by dotted lines, the difference in levels being 1½ ft. to 2 ft. A descent of a 4 ft. to 6 ft. scarp brings us to 13 A and 13 B, the latter being 2 ft. higher than the former. The excavation is of curious form, presumably it depended on the contour of the original surface of the hill top. At the western end of 13 B is a sloping passage way up from 13 C, and another apparently on the eastern side from 13 A to 13. The 13 C area is about 17 yds. by 19 yds. in extent, a level surface except for a small extent 8 yds. by 6 yds. at the N.W. corner which is 2 ft. below the level of the rest. From this little sunk space there seems to have been an upward sloping passage from 13 D. Possibly the small rectangular excavation had something to do with the defence of the entrance passage. Along its eastern edge a low parapet runs to 13 A, below which is a 10 ft. scarp down to 12. The western scarp is about 12 ft.

Descending a 4 ft. scarp finds us on 13 D, the last sub-area of the summit, and which is about 16 yds. by 10 yds. in extent. On the north and east sides are seen remains, much abraded, of former parapets or ramparts. It is quite probable that such parapets existed on other scarp brows now broken down. There was possibly an entrance way at the N.E. corner. The scarp on the north side is 12 ft. in height but much abraded, and below it is a small demilune terrace which connects with terrace 11 sweeping round three sides of the summit stronghold. On the west side of the summit terrace 11 is from 16 ft. to 24 ft. wide, and even wider near its abrupt end at the brow of the bluff near 14. It is not a level terrace on this side but rises in sympathy with the summit area, not with an even slope, but in the form of shallow terraced formations. Its inner scarp is from 12 ft. to 18 ft. in height, increasing towards 14. About 20 ft. below this western extension of terrace 11 is an ill defined and much page 255narrower terrace. Of this upper part of the fort the N. and N.W. sides have suffered most from abrasion and erosion. Where excavated the sub-soil is shown to be a stiff clay. At the base of the high scarp near 14 are some signs of a former trench. When the fort was occupied the scarp in this vicinity was apparently not less than 20 ft. in height, a formidable barrier when surmounted by a stockade that would be probably 10 ft. in height.

This fortified hill area as described above was not connected with Taka-poruruku to the north. It was a self-contained defensive position in itself, but was connected with the two other forts on the same ridge to the westward. This connection was based on the widened end of terrace 11 near 14 and extended in the direction indicated by the mark → seen upon the plan. Naturally such a group of fortified positions was occupied by members of a single clan, in this case the Ngati-Pou division of the Ngapuhi tribe.

There must have been a great extent of stockade lines in the above fort, as each scarped face would be surmounted by a line, and the series of terraces would thus be a series of defensible positions.

When the Rev. S. Marsden visited this district in 1819 these forts were not occupied, though the stockades or portions of them were standing. It is not known as to whether they were occupied again after that time.

To continue the description of the three linked forts of Tapa-huarau it is necessary to commence at the terrace underlying the S.W. corner of No. 1 fort-