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The Ancient History of the Maori, His Mythology and Traditions. Nga-Puhi [Vol. X, English]

Chapter V

page (11)

Chapter V

How glibly speaks the tongue
Of love rejected still,
And there Te-tu
Speaks slightingly of me
Though he Te-uira
Admires me yet.
And why o sir
May you not single live
Though I may hide my love
And my beloved confers the fact
That we each other love.
How great my fame
Heard far by all
Yet I should even
Deign to look at thee.
Stand o Tiki now,
And take me to
The clumps of trees
For in Wai-roa.
Ashamed I am
To weep so long,
And make my eyes
Like wave so white
In Toke-rau.
Thou art my kin
And hence I love
And have from days of past
But still though here
How glibly speaks the tongue
Of slander still.

page (66)

The descendants of Mawete
from whom sprang the
Nga-ti-kahu-ngunu and Nga-puhi

(Te-rarawa)

These are the names of the ancestors of old, that is the names of the people who first occupied the district now held by Nga-puhi (the plumes), and the Ao-pouri (dark day). These were named Po (night) Tiki (effigy) and Mawete (untied) and the names of the canoes which sailed from the other side from Hawa-iki and came here, were Tai-nui (great tide) Arawa (shark) Kura-hau-po (red at night indicative of a storm of wind) Moe-kakara (shut the eyes with the delight of a fragrant smell) Mahuhu (slip, as a knot made in a rope, to unloop as a knot) and Mamari (a sail) but there were many other canoes besides these, but the history of which were not given by the old men of the past, and hence the names of such have been forgotten by the present generations of our people.

The canoe Tai-nui landed at Whanga-paraoa (harbour of the whale) but the people who came in her located themselves at Ka-whia (embraced) from whom came the Wai-kato and all the tribes on the west coast of that district, from Wai-kato (nipping water) up to Wai-tara (water of the baptism) and some of the Tai-nui women took husbands of the Nga-ti-awa men, and hence the southern tribes are related to the Wai-kato.

The Arawa landed at Tauranga, and hence the origin of the Arawa people at Roto-rua, and many of the Tau-po tribes, and also those at the Wai-pounamu (South Island) and of the Whanga-nui district.

Kura-hau-po landed at Ahu-riri (the altar of anger) (Napier) or on the coast to the north of the Matau-a-maui (fish hook of Maui) (Cape page (67)Kidnappers), and from the people who came in this canoe came those tribes who occupied the Here-taunga (goods set apart) (Hawkes Bay) and who were killed by the Nga-ti-kahu-ngunu, and that people were exterminated from the land they first occupied, and some of them migrated to the Wai-pounamu (South Island) and hence from them came the Nga-ti-mamoe, who escaped the South Island.

The Moe-kakara landed on the coast between the Kawau and Whanga-rei, from whom came the Nga-ti-rango (the skids) tribe, the descendants of Tu-haia who occupied the Kawau Island, Mata-kana (staring eyes) Te-we-iti (little caterpillar) and Kai-para, who were beaten and most of them killed by the Thames and the Nga-ti-whatua tribes, but the leprosy killed many of them, at this day there are few of this tribe in existence. Po-mare and Tuhaia are still living at Mahu-rangi of these people.

Mahuhu landed at the mouth of the Kai-para harbour, and the braves who came in her landed on the main land at the mouth of that harbour at a place called Tahorahora (pluck fruit from a tree), but the place where they then lived has become part of the river, and is now covered with deep water, that spot was a district of dry land at the entrance of the Oru-wharo and O-tama-tea rivers, on which they built their whare-kura (home of the god temple or school) where they lived for many generations, and performed their rites and ceremonies, and ………. of the past, till the sea began to wash the land away, and the land and the temple were washed away and lost, with the gods and the effigies. The Nga-ti-whatua killed the last survivors of the people who came in this canoe, and took the females, whose offspring have become one with the Nga-ti-whatua, page (68)and can be seen in Te-otene kikokiko, who has a knowledge of the sacred learning of the days of old, with a perfect acquaintance of the gods, incantations, and genealogies of the past races of his people.

Mamari landed at O-mapere (second finger) at the mouth of the Hokianga river. Puhi-moana-ariki and his brother in law were the chiefs of this canoe, and they lived at O-mapere, and their altar and temple they built at Te-rangi on the opposite of the Hokianga river to the point called Koutu-mangero (point of the shark mangero) where they put kept gods, and performed their ceremonies and chanted their songs.

There were many other canoes which came to these Islands of New Zealand, but with the ………. of other knowledge these are forgotten, but let those who are descendants of the people who came in those canoes give the History of these canoes.

One of those canoes landed at Whanga-parao near Hau-raki, another of these canoes landed at Whai-apu, and the descendants of those who came in these canoes were scattered all over that part of the country, and some of those canoes sailed across to the South Island, called the Wai-pounamu. The food brought in these canoes was eaten by the crews as they came on their voyage, but the Tai-nui crew give a good account of the food they brought, and also of the crop they obtained from such of the remains of the food that they set in the ground at Kawhia.

The descendants of the people who first occupied the Au-pouri district, and also those of them who went to Whai-apu from the Ao-pouri were the descendants of Whatu-tahae (stolen sacred stone) who was daughter of Po who came in the Mahuhu page (69)and Mahuhu, first landed at Whanga-roa, and then went on and landed at Ahi-para and then landed near to Te-reinga where Mawete took up his abode and took Whatu-taha as his wife and they had Whatu-kai-marie, who was second daughter, and then they had Toroa, and afterwards Taiko, and Taiko was the ancestor of Nga-puhi, and the Nga-ti-whatua are the descendants of Whatu-kai-marie, and Toroa migrated to Whai-apu at the East Cape, and his descendants are the Nga-ti-porou, and the Nga-ti-kahu-ngunu, and Kahu-ngunu was born in the Nga-puhi district at Kai-taia, and also from the same ancestor from which Nga-puhi come, the Rarawa also come, also some of the Tai-nui people come from the same ancestor, through Rei-tu, and Rei-pae, and from the same ancestor as all those came: the tribes who reside near Manga-nui and on the Tokatoka in the Kai-para claim their descent, as the people of Taoho, can give the account of the ancient wars of old in which those people were beaten, and also the account of Rongo-mai who came in the canoe Mahuhu, but Rongo-mai was drowned when he was out fishing, and he was eaten by the first Araara, and hence the Nga-puhi and the Rarawa will not eat that fish, as Rongomai was the progenitor of these two tribes. The old name of Te-rarawa was Te-aewa.

I also remember another part of the history of old told by our old people, which is this, and is in respect to a chief of the name of Tu moana who came here in his canoe from Hawa-iki, and landed at Te-tau-roa in the Ahi-para district, where he left his canoe housed from the weather, and he and his people went all over the land, and page (70)stayed some time at each place they liked as they travelled on, and eventually they took up their abode in the Hokianga where his tribe resided for good but Tu-moana went back to Hawa-iki, and his sub tribe who lived at Hokianga were killed by the Nga-ti-whatua and the Nga-ti-awa tribes, by which the Nga-ti-tu-moana (the tribe of Tu-moana) became as a tribe lost, and the members of the Nga-ti-tu-moana became amalgamated by their conquerors, and with the Nga-puhi-moana-ariki.

Tu-moana lived in Hokianga, and became sorrowful on account of his old home at Hawa-iki, so he and some of his people went from that place to Te-tau-roa, where their canoe was kept and dragged it into the sea, and left for Hawa-iki, taken there by his love for his old home, but his daughter Rua (pit) followed him and wept over him, but Tu-moana spoke to her and said "Cease to cry and weep, live in this land, and you be the female head of this part of my tribe, but I will go back to Hawa-iki to those of our tribe left there by me, and to the home there I left. Cease to weep, when I arrive at Hawa-iki, I will chant to the gods that loud thunder may boom, that you may know that I have arrived there save. Live here in peace, do not quarrel, nor defame each other, live in peace in this another land of ours."

The canoe left with Tu-moana and his companions, there were many of them perhaps twenty twice told, they sailed away but Rua stayed some time at Te-reinga, and then they went past it, on their return journey to Hoki-anga, they went on to Kai-taia, and on to Mango-nui, and on up Taka-hue and thence on to climb up the Maunga-taniwha mountain, and when they arrived at page (71)O-ruru, Rua took a calabash and filled it with dogs fat, and scented it with rau-kawa, and then they went on to ascend the Maunga-taniwha mountain, but when they arrived in a valley below the mountain, the calabash of fat fell out of the hand of Rua and was broken, and the fat was spilt on the ground, and hence the name of the valley "Te-ipu-a-Rua" (the calabash of Rua). They went on to O-whata, and Ti-atua-karere, and Rapa-pukatea. This name Rapa-puka-tea (stern piece of Puka-tea) was from the fact of a chief called Tama-hotu having taken a Pukatea from that part of the forest to make a stern piece for his canoe. They ascended the Maunga-taniwha. From that mountain Rua and her companions descended into the Manga-muka river, down which river they descended in canoes, and went down the Hokianga River to Te-rangi, and on to O-mapere where Rua met the other portion of her people who had been left in her guidance by her father.

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War on Motu-kawa Island off Whanga-rei
(Nga-puhi)

A war party was proceeding from the main land to attack a Pa on "Motu kawa" (one of the Islands of the Bay of Islands coast) when a Hape or humped back, or crooked legged man wished to go in the party, some of the party seeing this deformed man said "He haere aha ta te ngarara nei?" (What is this reptile going for?) "Ka toimaha huhua kore ta tatou waka i aia" (He will be weight in our canoe for nought) having heard this he went to the extreme end of the bow of the canoe and sat himself astride of the Tauihu of the canoe, on the carved head piece that projects before the body of the canoe. The canoe landed and the attack was made this deformed man killed the first slain in the attack. Again when the second Pa was attacked he killed the first slain there also, hence this Proverb "Ka tahi na ra te hape a Taranga, e tangi te kiri kiri o Motu Tawa" (first and foremost was the deformed (descendant) of Taranga, and the gravel at Motu-Tawa was heard to speak).

page (73)

Women, men and sacred food
(Nga-puhi)

In days of ancient times two girls, one a woman of high rank called Rau-tangi (sweet scented moss) and her friend a descendant of Priests, left Hokianga on a journey going towards Taka-hue (fallen gourd) in quest of their intended husbands, who were men, who had come to the Hokianga district from the Taka-hue district in former time to funerals, feasts and visiting.

These two girls went on this journey all alone and crossed over the Hokianga river from the Ra-wene (many days) and paddled up the Motu karaka (clump of Karaka (corynocarpus laevigata) trees) creek, and landed up at its very source, where they tied their canoe, and she who was a descendant of Priests took the twigs of Karamu (coprosma) and Kawakawa (piper excelsum) and stood with nothing but her maro (waist mat) on, these twigs she waved before her, and up and down holding them in her right hand, at the same time she chanted an incantation, to ensure their going on the right road leading to Taka-hue, and that the gods should prevent them from turning off by some road that would lead them astray, she chanted.

Gush forth, gush forth from the spring in front
Gush forth from the spring from within,
As you are Maui-tikitiki-o-te-rangi
Do you now exert your self
And bind the maro round the waist and legs,
And dart away with maro on
Close the maro, and ask a gift
And beg for gift with maro before
And beg for gift with maro inside
O goddess of daring draw all in.
And tis a fountain dark and tumbling
page (74) Tis night of Po-tanga-roa
And night of Tauranga-te-ataia
To bring it full in view
To the wave that breaks in front
To the wave that breaks inside.
There is the night possessing
There is the night now near
The numerous nights near thee
Do not hide.
Tis the hiding of the goblins
Do not hide
Tis the hiding of the ancients
Do not hide
For fear of chilly cold,
Do not hide
For fear of false appearance,
Descend to the west
To being lost
To being expelled.

When they landed at the source of the Motu karaka creek and had performed this ceremony and chanted this song they went on towards Te toro-miro (the seeking for the miro (podocarpus ferruginea) tree) Manga-nui-o-wae (great branch of Wae (foot)) and to Rata-tomo (enter the Rata (metrosideros robusta)) where they rested for a while, Rau-tangi had taken food with her from the Hokianga, but her female friend had not, and as Rau-matangi eat of her food she said to her companion the descendant of Priests "I will not let you partake of the food I brought, as your sacredness is that of Priests, but my sacredness is that of Chiefs." They went on and arrived at Taka-hue in the evening, and were not recognised by the people of that place, and these girls asked about the two men to whom they were going, page (75)and they were shown to the Houses in which these men lived, and these girls went to those houses, and each girl took possession of the bed in which these men usually slept, and the men took each one as his wife. The girl called Rau-tangi took as her husband the man called Wai-rua (spirit) and from them sprang the sub tribe of the Rarawa called Nga-ti-rau-tangi, as they were the descendants of Rau-tangi and the girl who was descended of Priests took a chief called Wahi-noa, and when Wahi-noa (broken without cause) was old he was killed by his enemies, and at the time he was being beaten with a mere and while he was in his death struggle he uttered these words "Strike quickly and fast, I am Te-wahi-noa" which words have become a proverb.

The elder brother of Rau-tangi was called Hotu (sob) who was a very brave man, and his was this saying in regard to the weapon the mere, and the shield used in war which are these "The real things of Hotu, the mere and shield" which are a proverb used at this day.

The words Whakaruru and Whakawawe have been given as names to men so that the dying words of Wahi-noa should be remembered, and to urge his descendants to obtain revenge for his death.

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Canoes of ancient days
(Aki-tai of Wai-kato)

The canoe Mamari (sun, sail) landed at the Hokianga (returning) and from her crew originated the Nga-puhi people, who are descended from Puhi-moana-ariki (plume of the lord of the sea) who are the genuine name of the tribe derived from those who came in that canoe. From the Nga-puhi tribe came the Nga-ti-rangi who resided in the Wai-mate (dead water) district, and from the Nga-ti-rangi came the Para-whau (gum of the Whau (Entelea arborescens)) who lived at the Wai-mate and in the Kai-paraa (eat the Paraa (Marattia salicina)) district in the Wai-roa (long water) river. And from the Para-whau came the Nga-ti-porou who lived at Wai-rua (two waters) in the Kai-para.

Another canoe was the Mahuhu (slip as a knot of a rope) landed at Kai-para, and the Nga-ti-whatua (those of the rear of the surf of the sea coast) who resided in the Kai-para, and from the Nga-ti-whatua, came Te-uri-o-hau (descendants of Hau (scalp or offering to the gods)) who live in Kai-para, and from the Uri-o-hau came the Nga-ti-mauku (descendants of Mauku (hymenophyllum)) who live in Kai-para.

Another canoe was Tai-nui (great tide) which landed at Kawhia, and from her crew came the Tai-nui tribe who reside at Kawhia and from the Tai-nui tribe came Te-wai-o-hua (the water of Hua) who lived in the Wai-te-mata (water of the obsidian stone, Auckland district) and from the Wai-o-hua came Te-kawe-rau (carry with leaves) who live at Piha (last of the crop of kumara) and from the Kawe-rau came the Nga-ti-rango (the skids) who live at Mata-kana (staring eyes).

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Another canoe was Te-waka-tuwhenua (canoe of the lepers) which landed at Te-waka-tuwhenua (the canoe of lepers) a little south of Te-arai (the obstructed) from the crew of which came the tribe Nga-i-tahuhu (the ridge pole), and from the Nga-i-tahuhu came the tribes who occupied Te aria district, who have become extinct as tribes, by the ravages of that evil disease (leprosy) but some of this people are still to be seen in the Kawe-rau and Te wai-o-hua people.

This is the genealogy of the sub tribes who emanated from the crews of these canoes. From the Tai-nui canoe, came Wai-kato (cutting water) tribes, and from the Wai-kato came the Nga-iwi (the tribes) who resided in the Kawhia district, and eventually migrated to the Wai-te-mata (Auckland district) and from the Nga-iwi came the Nga-ti-rangi (descendants of Rangi) who was also of the Mamari canoe and of the people of that migration, and also of Te-wai-o-hua of Tai-nui, came the Nga-i-tutaki (descendants of Tutaki, meet) and from the Nga-i-tutaki came the Uri-o-hau (descendants of Hau) and from Te-uri-o-hau came Te para whau, and from the Nga-i-tahuhu came Te-kawe-rau, and from Te-kawe-rau came Te-uri-ngutu (descendants of Ngutu, lip) and from Te-kawe-rau came Te-aki-tai (dashed by the tide).

The name Para-whau is in reference to the Whau (entelea arborescens) which was used as floats for a net, and those who cut the whau were besmeared by the gum or sap of that tree, and hence the origin of the name Para-whau (gum of the Whau).

The origin of the name Aki-tai was this. The ancestor of that sub tribe went out to fish, and was drowned, and his body was dashed up against the page (78)bank of the shore by the waves of the tide, and hence the origin of the name Aki-tai (dashed by the tide).

The origin of the name Kawe-rau (carried by leaves) was this, Maki (invalid) the ancestor of this sub tribe was very hungry and he went to steal some kumara (ipomoea batatas) from the store pits of another sub tribe, and he took a basket of kumara, and to carry it on his back he made two slings with which to carry the basket of Nikau (areca sapida) leaves, and hence the name Kawe-rau (carried by leaves).

The canoe called "Waka-tuwhenua" landed at a point on the main land opposite to the Kawau (shag) Island, and her crew were afflicted with the disease called Tuwhenua (leprosy) and hence the name of that point at which this people landed being called Tu-whenua (leprosy) but that canoe had a name of her own which was Te-riu-kakara (sweet scented hold). The Kawe-rau tribe are related to this people, and some of the Kawe-rau died from the effects of the disease the Waka-tuwhenua people had. These of the Kawe-rau are buried in the sand at the mouth of the Wai-takere (water of the bed of the river) and the corpses are not touched nor will any of our people the Maori go near to where they are buried.

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The descendants of Tapua,
and the meeting with Captain Cook

(Nga-puhi)

This shall be an account of the origin of Nene (dare) (Tamati waka nene) and Patu-one (kill on the sand) (Wiremu maihi patu one).

Rangi-mitimiti (day of licking) had Tu-tahua (standing heap), who had, Meto (putrid), and a sister called Whare-toru (third house) and she had Te-kuta (the clog), who had Ngawa (crack open) who had Patu (side of a house) who had Tua (baptism) who had Kawa-hau (offering at baptism) who was a female and took Tapua (float) and had Tari (noose) a female who took Te-whare-rahi (the long house) of the Bay of Islands, and after Tari there were four other children two of whom were killed in war, who were called Te-anga (the core) and Te-rua-nui (great hole) and Patu-one and Nene the surviving sons resided at the Bay of Islands as Tapua their father was of that district, and before the time that Patu-one and Nene could wield a weapon of war, the tribe of their father went to catch fish with nets on the sea coast near to Mata-uri (face of the offspring) and when a lot of fish had been caught and put into the canoes, a sail was seen near to the Motu-kokako (Island of the callaeas cinerea), so the people left their nets, and they in the canoes paddled towards the sail, the canoe called Te tumuaki (the crown of the head) was commanded by Tapua, and forty twice told of a crew, and Haro-tu (scrape flax to produce tow) commanded by Tu-whare (stand near the House) and his crew of twenty twice told, and Te-homai (the give) commanded by Te-taha-pirau (rotten side) and his crew of twenty twice told, and the canoe Tikitiki (effigy) commanded by Ne (is it not so) and his crew of thirty twice told, page (80)to look at the vessel, and the reason they went to that guest, was that such was a strange sight for them to behold there, and such a canoe was not seen on the sea before. These canoe went, and when they had got near to the ship, the people of which waved to those in the canoes to go near to the ship, so the chiefs of the fleet of canoe of Tapua held a council, and when they had agreed to a line of action the canoe commanded by Tapua went close to the ship, and the crew of the canoe threw the fish they had in the canoe on board of the ship for the salt beings (sailors) who were like gods, and those god like beings were pleased with the fish, that is they gave loud cheers with their voices, and they collected the fish thrown to them, and Tapua went on board of the ship, and the chief of those gods gave a red garment to him, and some salt flesh of an animal, which was cooked, it was fat and lean meat together, Tapua brought it and gave it to his son Patu-one and his sister Tari, food like that had not been seen by the Maori, and it was palatable. And Tapua and his people guided the ship till she dropped anchor at Te puna (the fountain) and some land at Te-puna was shown to those gods where they could live, and the Nga-puhi people also lived on shore, and the salt people went on shore, but the Nga-puhi Maori were suspicious of the salt beings, lest they should be overcome by the strange beings, so the Priests went to where the god like beings were and looked inquisitively at them, so that they might be able to discern from the appearance of their faces if there was any evil with these strange beings, but the Priests did not observe the appearance of evil on them, so the Maori people fed them with the Maori food they possessed, that is with fern root, kumara, page (81)(ipomoea batatas) fish, and birds of the forest, but it did not last as long as the moon to decay 'ere these god like beings went away on the sea, and the Nga-puhi people went back to their own houses, where they again worked at their native work, and cultivated food.

The tribe called the Nga-ti-pou lived on the Island out side of the Bay of Islands, that is on Motu-arohia (Island of kindness) and Te Wai-iti (the little water) and other of these Islands. This tribe was of the Rahiri (receive continually) tribe from the Wai-mate (dead water, or dried up) but they went to these Islands to obtain salt food (fish) in the fishing season, and other ships appeared on the sea there, and some of the crew landed on Motu-arohia, as the chiefs laid at anchor off the Islands, and the head chief of these ships was called Mariao, he was a man of large body, and these people bartered (bought) the food of the Maori, such as kumara, and fish, where they laid at anchor for some time, and the Maori was friendly with them, and eat with them, and they lived in the Houses of the Maori, and the Maori slept on board of the ships. A day came when these salts (men of the sea) went to drag a fishing net to obtain fish on the Manawa-ora (the healthy heart) beach, but the Maori was angry with them, as that beach, had become sacred by corpses having been cast on shore there, belonged to the tribe of Te-kauri (the gum) which tribe lived at Whanga-mumu (wait for a breeze) harbour of which tribe the corpses belonged, of men who had been drowned in the Bay of Islands sea, and had been cast up on the Manawa-ora beach; and though the strange people had been scolded by the Maori and told not to draw their net on the sacred beach, they did not take any heed of the warning given by the Nga-ti-pou tribe, and the Nga-ti-pou were afraid of the god like page (82)caught fish on the beach, the Nga-ti-pou people would be attacked by the tribe of Te-kauri because the sacred place where the corpses of the people of Te-kauri had drifted on shore had been disregarded, but the god like salt beings did not pay any heed to the warning given, nor did they desist in their acts of drawing the net, so the Nga-ti-pou people wee very dark (grieved) and so ceased to visit the ships, or to barter with the salts (sailors) or barter for pieces of iron hoop of about the length of a man's hand, in exchange for food or fish or bids given by the Maori, or for a day's work in chopping fire wood for the ships. Soon after this some of the salts of these ships came on shore to wash their clothes, and at the time of day that they eat their midday meal, they sat down to partake of the meal, and ceased to look at their clothes which were left to dry on the trees of the scrub, the Maori went and took some of the garments in payment for the sacred beach at Manawa-ora, which these god like people had disregarded, and had drawn their fishing net on the beach, and had taken fish, and had eaten the fish, the eating the fish (taken from a place where corpses had laid) was the great evil these salts had committed. This people of Mariao went and told the news of their having lost their clothing they were washing, at the same time two of the chiefs of the Nga-ti-pou tribe were on board of one of the ships, so Mariao took them and tied them with rope yarn, so that these men might be kept till the stolen clothes were brought back, but at night these chiefs, got loose by cutting themselves and they escaped to land, and so soon as they had got on shore the Maori Priests said their gods had broken the rope yarn, and thus the chiefs had escaped, these two page (83)chiefs had not known the reason for their being tied up, but so soon as they got on shore they heard of the garments having been taken by the Nga-ti-pou, which garments were taken by that tribe to present as an offering to appease the tribe of Te-kauri Te-hikutu, for the salts having ignored the tapu (sacredness) of the beach at Manawa-ora.

One day soon after this the salts pulled on shore to use their net to procure fish, and the Nga-ti-pou tribe knew that Mariao had given the orders to tie the two chiefs of their tribe, the people of Mariao used the net, and took much fish, which they put into their boat, and the god like people took the net and were putting it into the boat when they were attacked by the Maori, and they rushed on them to kill all the salts, and all were killed not one escaped, and they took the bodies and cooked them, and Te-kauri (the gum) and Tohi-tapu (sacred baptism) of the Ko-roa tribe eat Mariao, and Te-kauri took the garment of Mariao, and the thigh bones of these killed salts were made into flutes, and the other bones were made into forks with which to pick food up and put it into the mouth. At dawn of the next day the boats of the ships came on shore, and attacked two Pas (forts) one at Motu-arohia and one at Te-wai-iti and the ships fired their big guns, and one of the big guns burst, and one of the Nga-ti-pou chiefs who had been tied up said he had bewitched the gun and it had burst.

The Forts which these god like beings had taken, the one at Te-wai-iti was commanded by the chief Tara-nui (great bravery) and the food which had been taken to sell to the god like people was for Oro-kawa (rub the heap of stones). Another Pa was taken by these god like people at the end of the beach of Manawa-ora.

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The men who instigated these acts were Tohi-tapu of the Roroa tribe (who died in the year 1833) and also Tarewarewa (hung up) of Te-ratu of the Nga-puhi, and also Takurua (winter) of the Mahurehure of Nga-puhi, (these two died in the year 1839) and these men also instigated the first introduction of pigs amongst the Maori of Nga-puhi at the Bay of Islands. Which pigs were exchanged for food, one of them was a sow and the other a boar, and they were quite young. These were brought into the Wai-ma district by the ancestors of Te-takurua, when the pigs arrived in Wai-ma, the people though them gods, and were allowed to wander as they liked, and as the kumara crop was growing at that season of the year and the crop had not been gathered, the pigs went into the midst of the kumara crops, and as the crops were sacred, not any one could go to bring the pigs away, and all the people could hear was the grunting of the pigs, which made the people more certain than ever that the animals were gods, but when the time came to take the crop up the pigs had rooted up a lot of the crop and eaten the kumara, so the Priests performed their ceremonies and chanted the incantations to prevent the gods from bringing evil on the people for the sacrilegious act of the pigs in digging up some of the crop, before the Priest had performed the usual ceremonies, and chanted the usual incantations to take the sacredness off the plantations.

These pigs in time had young ones, and the offspring were dealt with as the natives had done with dogs to make them geldings, and when there were many pigs, the people held a great meeting to consult about killing some of the hogs, it was agreed to kill some of the pigs and cook them in a hangi (Maori oven) and when the pigs were cooked, and page (85)the people had partaken of them the chiefs made speeches in which all expressed themselves to this effect "This is good food of the world, and if man is to be killed, let him die for this food." Pigs began to increase.

The Boar of these pigs the Maori first obtained was called "Hani-kura" (red Hani the staff of office, only held by the most brave man of an army) and the sow was called "Te-maro-o-te-kopu" (the girdle of the loins).

Now as Mariao had been killed by the Nga-puhi people, (the Nga-ti-pou, and Nga-ti-uru) they were attacked by the Hi-kutu for the beach at Manawa-ora which was sacred having been desecrated by the fishing net of Mariao, and the Nga-ti-pou were beaten, and the remnant fled to Whanga-roa, (long harbour) and they killed and eat the corpses who were killed by Tara of the Nga-ti-uru (the Boyd in 1809) and these people the Nga-ti-uru were killed by Hongi-hika at the time that he burnt the Wesleyan Mission station at Whanga-roa, in which war Hongi-hika was wounded with a fall at Hunuhunua (singe the skin off), and the descendants of Hongi-hika are still living at Whanga-roa to this day.