History and traditions of the Maoris of the West Coast, North Island of New Zealand, prior to 1840
Hikapu
Hikapu.
Te Rau-paraha and his division of the fleet, which is said to have carried three hundred and forty warriors mostly armed with muskets, proceeded along the coast to Pelorus* Sound, up the beautiful reaches of which they paddled, destroying the unfortunates who fell into their hands, or enslaving them.
* Named after H.M. Brig "Pelorus," which discovered the Sound in September, 1838. The native name is Te Hoihere.
† Ngati-kuia means the "descendants of the old woman"—i.e., Wai-nui-a-ono.
* E. W. Pakau-wera described to me how in after years, when Apitia lived at Rangi-toto Island, he and his father used to visit Kunari, the boy's mother. This was when peace had been made. The following little bit of family history illustrates some features of Maori life in the early nineteenth century:—"Apitia (senior) was of the Ati-Awa tribe of Waitara; he first married Wehe, a woman of the same Taranaki hapu as the well-known chief Kukutai. They had a daughter named Ripeka Te Urunga-pingao and a son Apitia. When Apitia (senior) joined the expedition under Te Rau-paraha he captured and took to wife Kunari, former wife of Pakau-wera of Ngati-kuia. They afterwards lived at Wai-ariki, Te Rimu-rapa (Sinclair's Head, near Wellington), which country fell to Apitia's share at the conquest (1825). It was here that Apitia took Kunari to wife, much to the anger of his first wife Wehe. When Ati-Awa removed to the Chatham Islands in 1835, Apitia went with them, leaving Wehe and her daughter at Wai-ariki, but taking the boy Apitia with him. Shortly after the death of Te Hiko (of Ngati-Toa) at Porirua, Wehe died at Wai-ariki. When Apitia heard of this he returned from the Chatham Islands, and for a time lived with us all at Wai-ariki. Now about Kunari: When Apitia first went to the Chatham's, it was not long after that Kunari had a daughter, who grew up to bo a fine woman. When the tribe of the first wife saw her they bewitched her, and she died. A son was also born to Kunari and Apitia, and he was also killed by makutu (witchcraft). Immediately afterwards Kunari died through the same means, and had not been buried a month before Apitia himself succumbed to the same influence—all on account of his taking a second wife, which is a serious offence amongst us Maoris" (Te Whetu, 1894). There must have been circumstances in this case which differed from the ordinary—probably Wehe, the wahine-matua, or senior wife, was entirely displaced by Kunari; for it was no uncommon thing for a Maori chief to have a dozen wives, one always being the principal one.