AN INCIDENT OF MAORI WARFARE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 356, 19 February 1881, Page 3

AN INCIDENT OF MAORI WARFARE.

formerly , possessed, ion? of ■'‘densest - populations and largest and n&st formidable’ fortresses inNew Zeasituated on Mount Maunganui the to the liarboUiy and it- was only on the introduction of firearms that the Northern tribes—-Nga^nhi— attacked this pa, driving its inhabitants into the pea. -The massacre (says\the “Bay cf Plenty Times”) was awfal ; never 3 ?d ; cannibals before so gloated oyer.the hundreds of victims which lay slaughtered before them; - The venerable chief Bor: Tupea, at present living at Rangi

whaca, was young and powerful, and having collected together the remnants of his tribe, avenged the insult committed by this Ngapuhi tribe, and put a final stop to their invasions hi this district. It is thus recorded :—“Soon after Ngapuhi obtained firearms they attacked Tauranga, and took Ngaiterangis pa at Maunganui. driving its wretched inhabitants into the sea at the rocky which forms the north-western extremity of that mountain. Again they invaded Tauranga and' encamped at Matuaaewe, a knoll overhanging the Wairoa, a mile and a half from the great Otumoetai pa. Such was the state of affairs when in the noontide heat of a summer’s day, Te Waru (Hori Tupaea), principal chief of Ngaiterangi, taking advantage of the hour when both parties were indulging in siestas, went out alone to reconnoitre the enemy. Having advanced as far as was prudent, he sat down among some Ngaio trees near the beach and presently observed a man, who proved to be a Ngapuhi chief coming along the strand from the enemy’s camp. The man approached, and turning up from the beach, sat down under the trees without perceiving the Tauranga chief who was near him. Instantly the determination of the latter was taken. He sprang unawares upon the Ngapnhi, disarmed him, and binding his hands with his girdle, he drove him towards Otumoetai, When they arrived pretty near to the pa he hade the prisoner halt; he unloosed him, restored his arms, and then delivering up his own to him, said to the astonished Ngaphu * Now serve me in the same manner. ” The relative positions of the chiefs were soon reversed, and the captor, driven captive, entered Ngapuhi’s camp, where so great was the excitement and eagerness of each to destroy Ngaiterangi’s chief, that it was only by the most violent gesticulations, accompanied with many unmistakeahle blows delivered right and left, Ngapuhi chief compelled them for a moment to desist. ‘ Hear me,’ he cried, ‘ hear how I got h’’m, and afterwards kill him if you like.’ He then made a candid statement of all that occurred, whereupon the rage of the Ngapuhi was turned away, and a feeling of intense admiration succeeded. Hori Tupea was unbound, his arms restored, he was treated with the greatest respect, and invited to make peace—the thing he so anxiously desired. The peace was concluded, the Ngapuhis returned to the Bay of Islands, and though in after years they devastated the Thames, Waikato, and Rotorua districts, yet Tauranga was unvisited by them.