The Heipipi Pa

This old pa is situated at the small settlement of Petane, near Napier, of which place the native name is Kai-arero. Its situation is on the ridge a short distance north of the village. The sloping ridge top has been occupied from the lower end of the ridge just above the road backward and upward for forty chains, so that fully half a mile was so used as a pa. As a rule the inhabitants apparently only occupied the top of the ridge, but at two places, one on the northern and one on the southern side, they have lived on the slopes for some distance down, that is at those parts that, by being less steep, lent themselves to occupation. On the northern slope are seen many rua tahuhu or pits of semi-subterranean food stores. As at Otatara none of the well like pit storage places were noted. The flattened hut sites of the former inhabitants are seen in numbers, and shell middens are also in evidence.

The lower part of the spur lies about north and south and shows two transverse earthworks and ditches of no great size. The eastern side drops steeply to the road, while the western side is more sloping, and shows a scarped face whereby to defend the ridge top. A part of the ridge shows no signs of having been occupied, then terrace like hut sites, one as large as 40 ft. by 24 ft., are encountered, also the abraded remains of a scarp, on part of which appear to be some signs of the former existence of a superimposed rampart. Just south of this scarp is a huge rectangular pit about 30 ft. by 18 ft. in size, now nearly 6 ft. deep, though containing much debris. Such a storage place would contain a huge quantity of sweet potatoes, for which purpose they were formerly used, being provided with an A shaped roof.

This position, like that of Otatara, near Taradale, is remarkable for its singular paucity of earthwork defences. A few short transverse ditches and walls at the lower end of the ridge, a short scarped flank defence at the same part, and then nothing more of such works is seen until we reach the farther extremity of the occupied area half a mile up the ridge. The whole of the flank defences, and most of the transverse ones, must have consisted of timber stockades. It is difficult to conceive why such defences should not have been supplemented and strengthened by escarpments; the nature of the soil page 292lending itself to such a mode of defence. The existence of the few earthwork defences shows that the place was fortified by its inhabitants, and not an open village.

Some of the pit stores are of remarkable size, thirty feet and more in length. One measured affords 4,200 cubic feet of storage space, which would be increased were it cleared of debris that has collected in it.

As we advance along the rising ridge it curves round to the westward and the originally occupied area increases in width down the northern slope to the site of a European homestead situated on a terrace like formation about two chains wide, and also at one part down the slope facing Petane (=Bethany) village. Neither slope presents any obstacle to the approach of enemies. At one place the inhabited area is about eight chains in width, and the slopes show small artificial terracing formed for the accommodation of dwelling huts and storage pits.

A scarp seems to have assisted in the protection of the highest occupied part of the ridge which, at 40 chains from the starting point, lies east and west, and is narrow, having a transverse defence of ditch and bank that might have presented a face or scarp of ten or twelve feet originally, for the earthworks are much eroded.

Though half a mile in length yet the occupied area was but small in comparison with Otatara.

There may have been originally some light flanking scarps in places that have become indistinguishable by erosion and abrasion, which in the light surface soil would no doubt be considerable.

There is nothing picturesque or remarkable about Heipipi except its situation on a ridge top, from which a fine view is obtained of coast and ocean. No massive earthworks are here, and those who have heard of this old and historic place must be disappointed on examining it. There is no feature that lends itself to illustration either by camera or cross sections.

The Heipipi pa is said to have been occupied by descendants of the Maruiwi aborigines known as Whatu-mamoa up to about 300 years ago. Some account of an attack on it will be found in the Journal of the Polynesian Society, vol. 13, p. 154. The occupants were driven from the district.

From this hill the men of old viewed the whole of Hawke's Bay from Cape Kidnappers to Te Mahia, as also the coast line, the Inner Harbour and Scinde Island, so called. In the Inner Harbour are situated the islets known as Koparapara, Te Iho-o-te-rei and Tapu-te-ranga, formerly occupied by the natives.

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Large shell middens existed on the two former isles and human bones have been found there, probably the remains of the inhabitants killed by northern raiders early in last century.

The point projecting from the western shore near these two isles is now known as Maori Head. This precipitous sided formation is connected with the mainland by a very narrow neck with a cliff on either side, hence it was formerly utilised as a pa.

In some places the ridge top of Heipipi has been levelled for hut sites and store pits, other parts show small hut sites at different levels; these small terracings or linchets are innumerable.

When the site was being prepared for the European homestead on the northern slope, human bones, much decomposed, were found.

The lower end of the pa near the road is marked by a small transverse scarp and super incumbent wall. About four chains up the ridge from this is the double wall and ditch mentioned above. Stone adzes have been found at this place.

As a rule the fortified places on the eastern side of the island were defended by earthen walls, ditches and stockades. The writer has examined many such, but has not noted the peculiarly open character of the Heipipi and Otatara positions in either the Poverty Bay, Taranaki, Auckland or Bay of Plenty districts. We know that Heipipi is said to have been occupied by a clan of the Maruiwi or Mouriuri folk, the original people of New Zealand. It might be assumed that the Heipipi type of pa was that used by the aborigines, but we know that the Taranaki district was occupied by that people, and the type does not exist there. The Pohokura, Urenui and Okoki pa at Urenui are said in tradition to have been some of the fortified places of Maruiwi, but their defensive earthworks are of the ordinary Taranaki type, and in no way do they resemble Heipipi and Otatara. There is another point of view, which is suggested by the fact that such places were occasionally re-built or re-modelled during centuries of occupation.

The name of the Heipipi pa was given to another at Kahu-nui, on the east side of the Rua-mahanga river in the Wai-rarapa district. It was occupied by the Hamua division of the Rangi-tane tribe. An old aphorism pertaining to this place was:—

• "Ko Rangi-tumau te maunga, ko Heipipi te pa"

(Rangi-tumau is the maunga (range, mountain) and Heipipi is the pa); this form of distichous epigram being much favoured by the Maori. It is met with in the form of:—

• "Ko Tongariro te maunga; ko Te Heuheu te tangata o raro"

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(Tongariro is the mountain; Te Heuheu is the person beneath it) meaning that the latter is the most important person of the district, the principal chief. The mountain and the chief are the two noteworthy items of Taupo.