The Pa Maori
Fighting Stages at the Chatham Islands, 1839
Fighting Stages at the Chatham Islands, 1839
Major Heaphy made the following notes concerning the curious towers at Waitangi:—"This is the only instance that I know of page 411 page 412fighting stages or towers being built, although in the old times the Maoris used to have stages somewhat like balconies overhanging at their pa wall from which they could sling stones or throw spears at their assailants.
"The stages shown in the sketch were built at Waitangi, at the Chathams, by Maoris who had migrated thither and then quarrelled among themselves, after nearly exterminating the Moriori or original inhabitants of the islands. See Fig. 34, p. 105.
"The pa with the higher tower was built in order to besiege the people in the middle pa. Each story of the tower was from 10 ft. to 12 ft. in height, and from the summit the assailants fired down into the besieged place. The besieged built a tower also, but from lack of material its dimensions were inferior to the other. There were no earthworks to speak of, probably on account of the nature of the hill, which was chiefly of sand. Covered ways led down from the pa to the waters' edge. Of a night the besieged could obtain fresh water from near this way."
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