History and traditions of the Maoris of the West Coast, North Island of New Zealand, prior to 1840
[introduction]
In the third generation after the arrival of the Taranaki tribe from Hawaiki, and during the residence of some of the descendants of the crew of "Kura-hau-po" at Oakura and that neighbourhood, the first trouble with the Ati-awa tribe occurred, but which did not finally end till the beginning of the nineteenth century. The tribes were not always at war, but nevertheless fighting was very frequent, and apparently up to a hundred and fifty years ago Taranaki seems to have generally got the best of it.
In the last chapter it was shown that Raumati's daughter married Ngarue, of Waitara. But he had another daughter named Kamate, who married Awhipapa, of Taranaki. In the times of this man the Taranaki people had spread out from Oakura; as indeed has already been seen in the story of Tama-atua, where it is shown that his sister and her people were living at Pirongia, between the Pouakai and Patuha ranges; and in Awhi-papa's lifetime the Taranaki tribe possessed an outlying pa called Karaka-tonga, which was situated on the banks of the "Waiwhakaiho river a considerable distance up the slopes of Mount Egmont. I should judge from the description given by my informants that this pa could not have been very far from the site of the present mountain house. The object sought in placing a settlement so far inland was so as to be near the pua-tahere, or bird preserves, where Kakas, pigeons. Wekas, Kiwis, Tuis, and other birds were plentiful; and also in order to obtain the kokowai or oxide of iron, which the people used formerly for pigments in painting their canoes, houses, etc., etc., including their own bodies. It was in this neighbourhood, also, that fine, close-grained stone was found, suitable for making axes.*
Ha-nui | Ka-ru-te-whenua | Tahu-rangi | Make-tuhi |
Ha-roa | Kaū-nguha | Manawa-kā | Manawa-tare |
Ha-ruku-pori | Kaū-papa | Awhi-papa | Make-hana |
Tara-moana | Tira-haore | Rua-tara-rauihi | Make-taua |
Awhi-papa, the only one of these people we have the descent from, would be born somewhere about the year 1380, or the end of the fourteenth century, and the fight I am about to refer to must have occurred when he was of some age—say between the years 1410 and 1420.
* Most of the places mentioned in this Chapter will be found on Map No. 2—others, as indicated, on Map No. 4.