A CHAPTER OF MAORI HISTORY

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 2071, 18 August 1885, Page 2

A CHAPTER OF MAORI HISTORY

A Maori potakjt, or chief's storehouse, is! bein? fitted up at the Auckland Museum, , at the expense of Judge Fqnton, who is depositing' it there, in order to familiarise the rising generation with old native carving and old Maori customs. It has, says the

Auckland Herald, been brought? from Rotoiti, and formerly belonged to Hare Huka, who vss the means in 18G5of bringing about a tfar between, his tribe, the Ngati wlmkaue, and Te Waharoa, thefather of the late Willi»m ; Thompson. It is said some of the carving is over 100 years old, though a portion is of more recent date. This potaka, being a large one, is built on four legs, The carving is on the outside, whereas in the ordinary runauga house, the carving is principally in the insides The roof will be thatched with toitoi. and portions of the front decorated with pigeon feathers. When the exhibit is fully fitted up, it will illustrate a chapter of Maori history of the olden times. The story of the war iu which Huka was engaged in "The Story of Te Waharoa," by J, A, Wilson. It seems Huka had been overlooked in the dtvision of a large quantity of trade received from Tapsell, a Pakeha-Moari at Maketu, in payment of flax which the tribe had sold. Huka made a journey to Maketu to see Tapsell, but found the Pakeha inexorable; he had paid to the chiefs of the, tribe allthe trade agreed to, and would pay no mora, so Huka returned to Kotorua,' saying in an ungracious spirit "I can'tkill all my relations, but I can bring war-upon them," which sure enoueh he did by murdering Waharoa's cousin, Hnnga, who then lived at Kotorua, by tomahawking him while rubbing noses and receiving his gueßts. Huka in the assassination, was assisted by his nephew and a small following of six or eight saw culottes—Huka being then, a secand rate chief of Ngatiwhakaue who had always been on excellent term's with Hunga, even,to the very moment when he murdered him. Thus originated To Waharoa's great war with' the Ngatiwhakaue or AraWa tribe, during which the Rev Mr Chapman's mission station'at Rotorua was sacked and burnt.