The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 7, Issue 5 (September 1, 1932)
Rauparaha's Invasion
Rauparaha's Invasion.
It was in the year 1823 that Rauparaha and his Ngati-Toa and Ngati-Awa warriors invaded and captured Papaitonga. Muaupoko brought their fate on themselves, to a certain extent, by a massacre in the vicinity; but the wily Rauparaha had intended to take the place anyway, so the murders only brought matters to a head a little quicker. One of the Muaupoko's prominent chief's was Toheriri; another was Tanguru, the father of the late Major Kemp. They, or some of their fellow chiefs, invited Rauparaha and his friends to a meeting at a place called Te Wi, near Papaitonga, promising him some of the canoes on the lake, and a great feast of eels. The Ngati-Toa came, but after they had had those eels they were attacked in the night-time by their hosts. Rauparaha's daughter, Te Uira (“The Lightning”) was killed, and he himself narrowly escaped from the fatal guesthouse in the darkness.
Muaupoko paid very dearly for their deed. The Maori story goes that this island pa was taken by the invaders in a daring manner. The Ngati-Toa swam across—not finding any canoes—and stormed the pa with ferocious savagery. One of the warriors, Te Tipi, won fame by firing his double-barrelled flint musket as he swam from the mainland. Foes who could fire their guns whilst swimming were too much for the nerves of Muaupoko. The islanders had no guns and they fell, and there were some grim deeds of blood on this little island that day of long ago.
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An emerald lake now shimmers in the blase.”
(Rly. Publicity Photo.)
Lake Papaitonga, Wellington Province, North Island, New Zealand