Okoare

This interesting old fort (Fig. 53, p. 201) is a very good illustration of the pa maori, and of the methods adopted in fortifying hill positions. It is situated near the town of New Plymouth, about two miles to the S.S.W. thereof. The hill on which it has been constructed is almost an isolated one, being connected with the high lying lands to the S.W. merely by a low saddle. The ridge-like summit of the hill lies nearly east and west, and it affords a fine view of the surrounding country and the ocean, the lone peak of Paritutu bearing N.W.

The outer defences of this position have consisted of steep scarps surmounted by stockades or superimposed walls and, in some parts, having a ditch at the base with an earthen rampart outside it. The ridge summit has also been divided into five distinct areas, as shown in the sketch, by means of escarpments, ditches and walls. Fosse and rampart play an important part in these defences, more so than in many of the hill forts of Taranaki, as is seen in the cases of the Okoki and Urenui forts, where the scarped terrace system was adopted. Okoare is remarkable for the great number of storage pits within its defences, most of which are of the well-like rua kopiha type.

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From A to B runs the outermost line of defence at the eastern extremity of the ridge summit, and from which the ridge breaks down to a lower ridge, thence to a flat ten chains to the eastward. The A B defence consists of a steep scarp now six to nine feet high, with a fosse outside it, now much filled with detritus from the scarp. An apparent entrance is marked on the sketch. There is no sign of a superimposed wall on the top of the scarp. It was probably surmounted by a stockade. The B C flank of area (1) shows a steep scarp and then an abrupt fall to a swampy stream over one hundred feet below. Such steep scarps, with no fosse at the base, or outer rampart, have assuredly been surmounted by stockades.

The C D line of defence between areas (1) and (2) is marked by a fosse eight feet wide and now five feet in depth; originally it was probably three feet deeper. Along the eastern side of this fosse runs an earthen rampart now four feet high. Area (1) shows no storage pits and it was probably a residential area only. The west side of the ditch, as shown by E F, presents a scarp or batter of about nine feet, owing to a superimposed wall, or parapet, now considerably abraded, on the west side. Thus this inner defence consisted of a fosse with a rampart on each side of it. Scarp and counterscarp were probably not less than fourteen feet in height.

It would be interesting to open up the parapet like walls in order to ascertain, if possible, whether or not they were surmounted by stockades. Stockades were so situated in many cases, as we know by finding the post butts in the ground, though in other cases high ramparts or walls were built up on which no stockade was employed, the defenders manning the top of the wall. This was probably the case in such defences as the huge walls at the inland end of the Manu-korihi pa, at Waitara. At the same time we must remember that, in some cases, ramparts were so formed as to be wide enough on the top to accommodate defenders, who took their stand behind a stockade. Such a mode of defence must have necessitated a very wide topped rampart.

From F to G is a stretch of forty-nine yards, which is protected by a scarp eleven feet high at F, and falling to seven feet at G. Along the base of this scarp runs a continuation of the E F fosse which is here contained by an outer parapet, now much eroded, from one to five feet in height. There has apparently been a parapet along the top of the escarpment which, prior to the action of abrasion and erosion during the past three generations or so, must have been a formidable face to escalade, as it was presumably surmounted by page 201 a stockade. The east and south sides of these inner defences show no sign of entrance passages. There would probably be a line of stockade on the outer wall or parapet.

In this, as in most other hill forts, the more or less steep fall of the ground without the outer-most defences was really an important additional defence, when we consider the remarkable absence of missile weapons in Maori warfare. The only two forms of missiles used in the attack and defence of such places were stones and spears. The former were cast by hand and were more effective as used in the defence than in the attack of a fort, more especially hill forts, as most pa were. The use of the sling in hurling stones is not quite proved as a Maori usage in warfare. The late Colonel McDonnell stated that it was so used; so also have several natives, but it does not appear to be mentioned in traditions. Kotaha, maka and tipao are names for it given by natives, so that it may have been used in page 202olden times, though apparently not extensively. Early voyagers do not seem to have noted its use. It was a common practice in Polynesia, and manufactured sling stones have been found at Sunday Island, 600 miles from New Zealand. Had it been a common usage here then we would assuredly know more about it. The sling proper was probably not used by the Maori, but he had other ways of casting stones.

The whip thrown spear was used both in attack and defence, but was presumably not very effective. There must have been considerable lack of precision in its use. Moreover, the actual site of a pa and its immediate surroundings only had to be considered with regard to an attack. A hill of greater altitude commanding the site and but two or three hundred yards away was a negligible quantity and proclaimed no danger.

On the northern side of areas (1) and (2) may be noted the break down to a terrace extending in varying width from A to I, outside of which the ground falls steeply to a fine cultivatable area far below, showing good soil and lying well to the sun. Beyond this lies a creek. The outer edge of the fringing terrace above mentioned has been steeply scarped but affords no evidence of a parapet or superimposed wall, evidently this was stockaded. From A to J this terrace is about thirty feet wide. The scarp of the upper area from E to K shows a continuation of the high scarp already described, with a ditch at its base and a rampart on the outer edge of the ditch. The scarp is now some nine feet in height from the present bottom of the ditch, which contains much detritus. It was originally probably a scarp of ten feet with a stockade on the top, which would add certainly eight feet, and probably more, to the height of the defence, no slight obstacle to an assault. Signs of occupation are seen on the terrace.

Opposite J commences a bastion like projection of the higher area that juts out northward some twenty feet, conforming with the configuration of the hill and slopes. From J to I the terrace is about fifteen feet wide. In the corner of the terrace opposite J was probably a small entrance passage to the upper area. The inner scarp of the terrace follows a curve of the ridge round to I where there has apparently been an entrance. Between H and I a narrow spur runs down to the swampy creek, and presents a few hut sites in a position undefended by any earthworks. Between I and G was a passage entrance between areas (2) and (3).

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From E to F is the highest part of the pa, and from here to the western end of area (2) the ground descends somewhat, though all of an even surface and available for occupation. This pa is a good illustration of how a rounded ridge, or hill with a longitudinally sloping summit, was levelled into areas of different altitudes. This uppermost area, or tihi, as a native would term it, shows many store pits of the rua kopiha type, while area (1) was merely a residential one.

A ditch across the ridge from I to G is now about four feet deep at its northern end and nine feet at the southern end. On the eastern side of its southern part is a small parapet, probably much abraded, and on the western side a much more pronounced one. The ditch is eighteen feet from brow to brow.

Across the ridge from L to M runs a fosse seven feet deep, with a low parapet three feet in height on its western side, as also a ridge like mound on its eastern side. This latter, however, is not situated on the top of the scarp but lies ten feet back from it. The fosse is ten feet from brow to brow for some distance, but much wider at the south end.

Area (3) includes many store pits, some of them apparently small semi-subterranean ones of the rua tahuhu type, while others are the well like pits with direct entrance from the surface.

This area (3) is fairly level, and is on the same plane as area (4). The probable passage between them is marked on the sketch.

From G to M is a continuation of the inner scarp with a superimposed wall or parapet; the latter being about five feet in height at the west end, though broken away at the eastern end. A ditch runs along the base of the scarp, which is eight to ten feet high. The remains of a parapet are seen outside the ditch, now nearly obliterated by a crumbling down process and the filling of the ditch with detritus. At M the ditch is twenty feet from brow to brow. Below these defences the ground falls away to the swampy low ground on the southern side of the hill. This southern slope shows hut sites; it being a common custom for natives to live outside a fortified position in peaceful times.

The curved line from I to L presents the inner scarp at its western end but no such work at the eastern end. The terrace shown on this side must have possessed a stockade as an outer defence, with probably another on the top of the inner scarp. At N there appears to have been a communicating passage between areas (3) and (4). page 204At L the terrace was originally about twelve yards wide, narrowing somewhat to east and west. At the bottom of the hill on this side is a swampy creek.

No. (4) area contains many store pits. On its southern side the defences are the same as in area (3), but the parapet is much abraded in parts. At P the inner scarp is about twelve feet, on the top of which is a parapet four feet in height. The parapet or rampart outside the ditch has almost disappeared. In some places the scarp and its superimposed wall show that originally the steep batter face must have been twenty feet in height. There was probably an entrance passage at O. So numerous are the food storage pits in these parts of the fortified area that they must have interfered seriously with space for dwelling huts, unless they were inside the cooking sheds. This latter arrangement, we know from Dr. Marshall's work, was a Taranaki usage. Opposite O a spur leading down to the swamp has terraced hut sites on it.

Throughout this position much levelling, scarping and terracing have been done. Hut sites are numerous on the terrace along the northern side; the Maori fully appreciating a sunny position. At R there appears to have been a graded approach from the spur to the terraced area (5). This latter area has been converted into a habitable space by means of making many small terracings to serve as hut sites. Apparently it was a residential area like No. (1), the numerous pits being in the three intermediate areas. From R to S runs a steep scarp still ten feet in height. Other hut sites are seen outside this defence, on the steep slope of the hill and on the spur below S. The northern and southern ends of area (5) were defended by a scarped face and doubtless the usual stockade. To the west of the fort is a patch of the original bush still existing in the gullies.

Okoare, like most of the Taranaki native forts, is small in area, but is a very fine specimen of a pa. It is said to have been built by a section of the Taranaki tribe that overran this district and occupied it for some time, being afterwards expelled by Ngati-Awa, its original possessors.

Two notable features of the Okoare pa defences are the earthen wall or parapet on the top of a scarped face, and the fosses having ramparts on both sides, as also a fosse and rampart at the base of a scarped face.