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Tales of Banks Peninsula

Waikakahi (Wascoe'S)

Waikakahi (Wascoe'S).

The shadow of Moki's form across his threshold was the first intimation Tu te kawa had of the arrival of the Ngai Tahu. The old chief, infirm and helpless, was found coiled up in his mats in a corner of his house, and Tuahuriri's sons, mindful of their father's last words, "If you ever meet the old man spare him," were prompted at the last moment to shield their kinsman, but the averger of blood thrust his spear between them, and plunged it into the old man's body. It may be necessary to explain here why the Ngai Tahu chiefs hesitated at the last moment to carry out the avowed purpose of the expedition. Tuahuriri's injunction, and their desire to carry it out, were quite consistent with the Maori customs relating to feuds of this nature. Tu te kawa had spared Tuahuriri's life, and therefore merited like protection at his hands. But Tu te kawa had killed Tuahuriri's wives, and their death required to be avenged, but not necessariiy by the death of the person who killed them; it would be sufficient atonement if one of his nearest blood relations suffered for the crime. This practice will be fully illustrated in subsequent pages containing the account of the Kai Huanga feud

Having ascertained that Te Rangi tamau was away at Taumutu, and not knowing what course he might take to avenge his father's death, Moki gave orders that a watch should be kept at night round the camp, to guard against page 15surprise, but his orders were disregarded. Te Rangi tamau, whose suspicions were aroused by observing a more than ordinary quantity of smoke arising from the neighbourhood of his father's pa, set off at once for Waikakahi, and arrived there after dark, Waiting till the camp was quiet, he passed through the sleeping warriors and reached his father's house. The door was open, and, looking in, he saw a fire burning on the hearth, and his wife, Puna hikoia, sitting beside it with her back towards him. Stepping in, he touched her gentiy on the shoulder, and placing his finger on his lips as a signal to keep silence, he beckoned her to come outside. Then he questioned her about what had happened, and finding out that she and his children had been kindly treated, he told his wife to wake Moki after he was gone, and give him this message: "Your life was in my hands, but I gave it back to you." Then, taking off his dogskin mat, he re-entered the house, and placed it gently across Moki'a knees, and then hurried away to the citadel of Waikakahi, which stood on the hill between Birdling's and Price's Valley, a few chains from the point where the main road passes. The spot is still marked by the ditch and bank of the old fortress, When Puna hikoia thought her husband was safe from pursuit, she woke Moki and gave him Te Rangi tamau's message. Moki felt the mat, and was then convinced the woman spoke the truth. He was greatly mortified at having been caught asleep, as it was always injurious to a warrior's reputation to be caught off his guard. Issuing from the house, he roused his sleeping warriors with a mighty shout, and the expression used upon the occasion has since become proverbial—" Ngai tu whaitara mata hori," O unbeheving Tu whaitara! The next day negotiations were entered into with Te Rangi tamau, and peace restored between him and his Ngai Tahu relations.