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Tales of Banks Peninsula

Raid On Panau (Long Look Out)

Raid On Panau (Long Look Out).

But it must not be supposed that these places were then occupied for the first time. One result of the Kai huanga feud was to drive all who could escape from the destroyed pas to take refuge in the bays on the north-east side of the Peninsula. Those places were then so difficult of access by land that the refugees who took possession of them hoped to be quite secure from pursuit. In the course of a few years several populous settlements sprung up, and of these page 32Panau and Okaruru (Gough's Bay) were the chief. The inhabitants of these settlements might have continued in peaceful possession of them, but for the repitition by some of thair number of an act similar to that which originated the [unclear: Kai] huanga quarrel, and which brought upon them the anger of their near neighbours, who were as familiar as themselves with the paths that led over the forest clad hills to their Several retreats. The circumstances that brought about a renewal of hostilities were as follows:—During Rauparaha's first visit to Kaiapoi, two chiefs, Hape and Te Puhirere (the latter was the father of Big William) accompanied by several other persons, some of whom belonged to Panau and the other bays just referred to, went to visit their friends at Kaiapoi. While on the way, one of their companions, a woman named Te Whare Rimu, said, "My atuas (familiar spirits) tell me that our path is obstructed; there is darkness before us; destruction is in front of us; death is in front of us." Te Puhirere replied, 'Well my atuas tell me we are safe, there is no danger." He did not know (as Big William said when telling the story) that he was being sold to death by his atuas for a Slight he had put upon them before starting on his journey. Just before leaving home, his atua had cried out for food to be placed on its shrine. It had said, "I hunger after eel." Te Puhirere told his wife to give the atua what it asked for, but she grudged to give it the best fish, and not knowing the risk she was running by not doing so, being a new wife—the old and experienced wife being dead—she gave the atua a very small and thin eel. Her conduct; exasperated the atua, who, to avenge itself, delivered Te Puhirere and his companions into their enemies' hands, by permitting them to continue their journey without warning them of the great risk they were running. None of the party had the least suspicion that the approaches to Kaiapoi were in the hands of a hostile northern force. They journeyed on towards their destination till they reached the causeway through the Ngawari swamp, where they fell suddenly and unexpectedly into the hands of an ambuscade. Both Hape and Te Puhirere were killed, but page 33some of their companions, by jumping into the swamp, succeeded in making good their escape, and found shelter in the pa.

After the massacre of Rauparaha's chiefs by the inhabitants of Kaiapoi, and his withdrawal from the neighbourhood, the survivors of the Akaroa party returned home. When passing the spot where they had been attacked, they found the clothing of the two chiefs who were killed, and not liking to lose such good mats, they picked them up and carried them home, and appropriated them to their own use. In time it came to be generally reported that Hape and Puhirere had been kaipirautia, or dishonoured after death, by some persons who were known, When a full report of what had happened reached the ears of Te Mai hara nui, he expressed the greatest indignation at the indignity perpetrated on his deceased relatives by those who had dared to wear their mats. He summoned the warriors of Ngai tarewa, Ngati Irakehu, and Ngati hui kai, and led them to avenge the insult by attacking in succession all the pas erected by the refugees at Panau and elsewhere. A few only were killed; the majority were spared, and employed by their captors as slaves.

Two of these prisoners, who had fallen to the lot of Paewhiti (old Martin), did not agree very well with their master, and ran away to their friends at Koukourarata. Tama i Tikao, who was then a boy, remembers how angry his father Taupori was because the runaways did not seek his protection; for he had been invited by Ngatata to leave Kaiapoi and to reside at Koukourarata, in order to shield him from any attack by the Akaroa people. When the two men who deserted from Paewhiti were seen emerging from the bush above the Whatamaraki, every one expected they would soon arrive at the settlement; but it soon became evident that they passed on to a neighbouring village of Ngai te rangi. Taupori could not contain his indignation at what he regarded as a grevious slight offered to himself by the travellers, and he demanded that Ngatata should send at once and fetch them back. His demand was complied with, and a canoe was page 34immediately sent to convey them back. On arrival, they were placed before Taupori, who asked them why they passed him. "Did you know," he asked, "that I was here for the express purpose of protecting Ngatata and his friends? Did you doubt my power to protect your lives? I am in doubt now whether I shall not kill you both for the insult you have offered to me" They then stood up one after the other, and replied to Taupori, and succeeded after a time in soothing his wounded pride, and inducing him to spare their lives. One of them, Te More, decided to remain and live with Taupori, but his companion asked permission to return to his friends.

But another runaway was not so successful in pacifying Taupori's eldest son, Te Whare rakau, who felt injured in reputation by his distrustful conduct. Te Whare rakau had gone with his eldest boy to Pigeon Bay to fell totara trees for making canoes. He was engaged working on two, one called Te Ahi aua, and the other Te poho a te Atua, when a man named Kahuroa made his appearance, accompanied by his wife and children When Te Whare rakau saw him, he asked him to stay and assist him in his work. The man consented to do so, but during the night he went away with his family, and so quietly as not to awaken Te Whare rakau. This made him very angry (pouri), because he had inadvertently endangered his own life and that of his son by entertaining an unfriendly guest, who might easily have killed him in his sleep. He was vexed with himself for having allowed such a person the opportunity of saying that he could, if so disposed, have killed Te Whare rakau; that, in fact, he had spared his life. On returning home he told his father and their friends, who tried to quiet him, but without avail. Some time afterwards he happened to be in a canoe, containing, amongst others, no less a personage than Momo, the great chief of Kaiapoi, and, while they were pulling along the coast, Te Whare rakau caught sight of Kahuroa on the beach. He immediately asked to be put on shore that he might pursue him. "What!" said Momo, "would you slay your own kinsman?" "What else can I do?" be re-page 35plied. "Why did he deceive me? He might; have killed not only me, but my son too. A little and we should both have fallen victims. For this he must die; I cannot let him live to boast that he spared my life and that of my son" Saying this, he ran after the unfortunate man, and, having caught him, killed him on the spot.