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Maori Wars of the Nineteenth Century:

The War at Te Roto-a-Tara (Kahu-ngunu) 1819?

The War at Te Roto-a-Tara (Kahu-ngunu) 1819?

The following is a translation from a native account :—

“The first battle in which Kawatiri engaged was the wharua at Te Roto-a-Tara at Te Aute; which is a land of hillocks, with one hill near the lake. The outlet is close to that hill, the waters joining the Waipawa river. The island in the lake is called Te Awarua-o-Pori-rua, and on it is the pa of Te Roto-a-Tara, which was occupied by the hapus of Kahu-ngunu. There have been many tauas that have assaulted that pa, and many battles have been fought on the shores of the lake. In the days when Kawakawa was alive, he was the head chief of the pa, and at that time it was besieged by Ngati-Paoa, of Hauraki, in the district of Nga-Puhi (sic), who were accompanied by Nga-Puhi in the expedition against the pa.* The Ngati-Paoa page 294 taua was in consequence of a mate-huanga, or family quarrel at their own home. They did not wish to fight against their own relatives to obtain revenge, hence they came to a distant land to kill, and thereby assuage the angry feelings of the heart,” (a proceeding which was entirely in accord with Maori custom).

“The taua of Ngati-Paoa and Nga-Puhi came by way of Pa-tetere, to Taupo, and by Rua-hine and the sources of Manawa-tu, by the mountains, and so out to Te Rua-taniwha Plains. As they came along they killed and ate their men (that they caught). Then they assaulted the pa at Te Roto-a-Tara. At that period the men of the pa were away at Waimarama catching fish. The pa was assaulted, and the principal chief, Kawakawa, was killed, together with all the old men, invalids, women, and girls. The pa was not taken with the knowledge of the people, because they were in a state of false security. The Ngati-Paoa and Nga-Puhi crossed the lake by mokihis, and then fell on the people in the night, so that not one of them escaped.

“The taua returned by way of Ahuriri and Petane to their homes, killing as they went.

“This defeat was avenged by some of the hapus of Ahuriri, who went on a taua to Hauraki, and as far as the inland part of that district.” (There is no further record of this expedition.)

* Korokoro, of Nga-Puhi, related to Ngati-Paoa, was visited by the latter tribe (Te Haupa’s) in September, 1819, to ask him to go south on an expedition. Korokoro returned to the Bay, January, 1820. It is possible that this was the party of Nga-Puhi referred to above, though it is said that Tangite-ruru was the Hauraki chief who went north to fetch Nga-Puhi.