TE-WHAITI-NUI-A-TOI

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 108, 10 January 1940, Page 3

TE-WHAITI-NUI-A-TOI

MORE FIGHTING IN THE TE WHAITI DISTRICT After the return from Oputara, Tutonga and his party returned home to Hanga-mahihi, on the Wliakatane River. But they were not to be left in peace for long. The gods had decreed (hat Tutonga should die The deaths of Hape and Te Aroakapa were still worrying NgatiManawa, hence they and. Ngati-Apa rose in arms. The force marched across the ranges to liana-mahilii where Tutonga was living at a pa called Opuku. The beseiging force was powerful and the defenders had no chance from the outset. Tamakere and Tutonga were killed. The heads of the two slain men were taken away by the Ngati-man-awa who proceeded on, down the YVhakatanc River, in search of more fields to conquer. Unfortunately for this party some of the survivors from Hanamahihi j had preceded them in this direction and had sped on to the Karioi pa, where lived a section of Nga Potiki. The escapees passed on the news of the massacre. The men of the Karioi pa were not long in raising a force and they encountered the invaders at Marumaru. It was a running fight which ensued then, and the Ngati Manawa and Ngati-Apa lost several chiefs, who had remained at the rear of the party as it fled up the Whtikata.no River. Finding that they were losing many of their leading men, the fleeing coalition left the river and turned up the narrow channel of the Ma.ngaota.ne creek. This creek is extremely narrow and the banks rise steeply on either side to high, bush-clad hills. It was 'backs to the wall' for the Ngali-Manawa and Ngati-Apa. but they were hopelessly outnumbered and the fight could have only the one result. Some escaped over the hills and readied Whirinaki.

Invasion of Walau Valley. In order to square matters with the Tuhoe and avenge the deaths of their relatives at Mangaotaue the Ngati-Mahanga marched against those members of the Nga Potiki living in the small, scattered, undefended hamlets in the Wajhau Va 1 - ley. The party was under Te Rnnqiaawhitia. Even in those days the strategical movement of a large body of troops against scattered sections of an otherwise equal force was appreciated and the Nga-Potilu were unwise to discard the cardinal rule of military warfare and spread thetf forces. The Ngati-Mahanga first came across a small section at Wharekarika, these people being under the chief Para-haki who was killed. For the reason of her relationship to the attacking force, the chief's wife was spared as were also her two sons, but the three were taken as captives. Placed in the centre of the retiring party to prevent their escape, the captives were taken along as souvenirs.. One of the sons, however, managed to escape and eluded those sent in pursuit. ! Then the widow, Mi hi, was released and allowed to follow her son, whom she found awaiting her on the trail to Ruataliuna. The mother and son proceeded on to that place in order to acquaint the eldest son of the family, who had not been at home at the time of tlie with the fact of his father's death. Now it happened that at this time Whitiaua, the son in question, was on his way from Ruatahuna on a visit to his parents. The remnants of the family met and Whitiaua took charge. Ordering his mother and brother to proceed on their way to Ruatahuna, he himself made for Tama-kai-moana, Ngati-Tawhaki and other tribes in order to raise a force to avenge the death of his father. This he succeeded in doing.