REVENGE AT TANEATUA

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 21, 7 June 1939, Page 2

REVENGE AT TANEATUA

KAHUKI THE WARRIOR MURDER OF HIS SISTERS The young Kahuki was carefully trained as a fighting man with the object of avenging the death of his father. He was taught the use of the various native weapons, and the different guards and strokes by which the warriors of old wielded the taiaha, the tewhatewha and the patu, and all the rest.. Also he learned the numerous charms and spells of magic by which the men of those days rendered themselves fleet of foot, and their weapons effective. Well versed was he in the numerous games known to the Maori and also sweetly could he play the flute and sound the war trumpet. When but a lad Kahuki's companions jeered at him because his father was not known, whereupon his mother, Rangi-paroro told him that his father had been trencherously slain by Tua-mutu, Kahuki's uncle. "Was his death avenged?" Inquired Kahuki, and when he learned that Tua still throve he resolved to punish him. LEAVES HOME One day Kahuki, by now the very pattern of the Maori warrior said to his mother that he was going on a a journey to the coast. He asked that his twin half-sisters should acc company him as bearers of food, and, this was agreed upon. So narrow was the life of man in those days that Kahuki, a man, by growth and deeds, had no knowledge of the trail to the Whakatane valley. In those days a person might have lived a long life-time without leaving a narrow range of bush land, or ever traversing a plain or open country, so that Rangi-paroro had to give him minute directions for his trip to Taneatua. He was to follow the Waimana until he came to the pa at the Raroa Stream (where the Maruiwi had some merry moments 80 years or so later) and cross the range. From the summit he was told that he would see two clumps of white pine bush at Opouriao, the larger named Kotipu and the smaller Te Tarau. Seaward of that he would see the Puketi pa at Taneatua and near there lived hs uncle Rua-pururu Rua wore his hair braided in eight i plaits and could not be mistaken. So Kahuki and the two girls went forth. The girls, though twin sisters, differed much in appearance. One was dark, with black hair, and the other fair skinned with light coloured hair. At Te Tarau the smaller clump of pine bush, the girls saw a kaka parrot busily engaged in extracting grubs from a decayed tree, so they proceeded to got some grubs for them selves, that they might eat thereof. (A prized delicacy was the coy huhu and. if not so delicious as a mess of earthworms, still much sought after) so Kahuki co-operated hewing the rotten wood away with his adze, and the girls withdrew some distance lost the tree fall upon them. GIRLS KILLED. Now a local bad lad named Tamango, a chief of the district, had either heard the chopping or seen the party enter the bush, and he led a band of men to slay the wayfarers. Thev advanced stealthily through the bush and caught the two girls and slew them out of hand, but Kahuki became aware of his danger and fled, pursued by Tamango. On arriving at the banks of a stream he stopped and called out to his pursuers "Go! Return! I will never be caught by you. Whose party is this?'' and Tamango replied ''It is Tamango's.'' Said Kahuki: "If the red one be slain, spare the dark one. If the dark one be slain spare the light one." But the girls were already dead. Kahuki sped ahead and crossed the Waimana near the Puke-ti pa at Tan eatua. In a garden, nearby he saw an old man weeding his kumara plot. The old gentleman had his hair plaited in eight strands and turned up over a wooden frame on the top of his head, hence Kahuki knew that it was his great.uncle Rua-pururu. Kahuki sat down under the river bank mask, ing his face with his dogskin cloak, and the old man, when he came to the river with an armful of weeds, saw him squatting there. When Kahuki unmasked the old man knew him for his great nephew, and took him to his pa, and at the sacred place of the community performed over him the tohi rite, a peculiar ceremony intended to implant desirable qualities like courage and tact in a person.

AN AMBUSH Later in the day. when the people of the Taneatua forts had gathered to meet Kahuki, he was told that war was being waged with Tamango's people. Tamango, they told him, wore a red feather cloak in battle" and was the first man into the fray. Then Kahuki said ''Do you send forth a party to attack Tamango. Let them lure him and his warriors forth by falling back and pretending to fly in disorder. Let them fall back to this place. If the pursuit lags then turn and attack them, but if they follow eagerly then retire and lead them here, where I will attack them." So the little surprise was arranged and a party of Taneatua men marched to Tamango's pa at Otere, which still can be seen on the foothills across the Whakatane river opposite the Puketi pa. Tamango led his men forth and the Taneatua party retreat, ed, followed by the enemy, and fled across the Waimana.. On the Taneatua side of the river the ambush was revealed when Kahuki led his men. into the battle and there the fight waged merrily. Kahuki is said to have slain five men himself before Tamango and his people broke and fled, pursued by the victors. ANOTHER TRAP Tamango himself had escaped, and though Kahuki gave it out that the death of-his sisters had been aveng ed, the score was not yet paid. To this end Kahuki announced that he was going to Ohiwa to see his other relatives. His uncle Rua-pururu of_ fered him an escort, but Kahuki declined. "Remain you all here" he said and build a house for Tamango. When I have gone make peace with Tamango, give him a wife from your own clan, and erect a house for him. Erect also a latrine nearby. As for me I go alone.' When Kahuki had gone peace was made with Tamango and his clan, a wife promised to him to bind the peace-making, and a house was built in which the marriage function might be held. The name of the house was Wai-whero. and it was built at the Wai-wherewhero stream at Opouria, just south of Puketi pa. KAHUKI'S "CHEEK"' Meanwhile Kahuki had gone to the Whitiwhiti pa at Ohiwa. Here dwelt his grandfather Pane_kaha and his two half-brothers, but when Kahuki arrived his relatives and most of their people were away from the fort. Kahuki knew the position of his brothers' house, for Rua-pururu had explained it to him. He did not enter the fort by the gate way, but clambered up the palisading and along the railing thereof, until he came opposite the house of his brothers, where he descended. Thus he showed in the manner of the old. time Maori, that he was a person of importance, or considered himself so. However, the people did not know him and were annoyed at his "cheek" They tried to catch him, but he escaped and entered the house, not in the orthodox manner by the door, but by crawling through the window. Then he crowned everything by sit_ ting down on the sleeping place of the chief Pane-kaha. This was regarded as most presumptuous, for the sleeping place of a tapu person was not to be lightly treated. "O PANE!" Messengers ran off to find the chief ''O Pane-kaha!" They said. "There is a person on your sleeping place.'' All the people hastened to the pa and called on the reckless invader to come out, meaning to slay him, for they could not enter the house to drag him out since it was the tapu house of the principal chief and he only could do so. Ere long Pane-kaha arrived and called to Kahuki, saying ''Come out. If you remain there you will be slain.'" Kahuki answered with the expressive remark "Pokokohua!" which, unless uttered by a near was an insult calling for prompt action with spear and club. So the old chief ooked at him and recognised him as his grandson. The relatives wept over each other in the manner of the Maori. Then Pane performed the tohi ° rite over Kahuki as Rua-pururu had done. MORE TROUBLE Kahuki, the stormy petrel, had come from trouble at Taneatua to trouble at Ohiwa. The enemy was no other tham, Tuamutu, slayer of Ka huki's father, and next will be told how Kahuki receipted that account.