TE RAUPARAHA Part 1: Kawhia and the Journey South

Te Ao Hou, March 1960, Page 6

A war party prepares to leave for a raid. Te Rauparaha often led such parties as a young man. Alexander Turnbull Library TE RAUPARAHA Part 1: Kawhia and the Journey South by W. CARKEEK In one of the many battles which raged around the shores of Kawhia Harbour during the later part of the 18th century Werawera, the father of Te Rauparaha, was taken prisoner and killed. His body was carried off and eaten by enemy chiefs one of whom boasted that if Werawera's infant son should also fall into his hands the child would make an excellent relish for his rauparaha, an edible juicy plant of the convolvulus family which grew in abundance on the nearby sand dunes. This incident which occurred at about the time of Cook's first visit to New Zealand was commemorated by Werawera's relatives in calling his son the convolvulus leaf, or Te Rauparaha, a name which in later years was to cause more profound changes in the southern half of New Zealand than any other in the history of Maoridom. Although not of the highest rank in the Ngati Toa Te Rauparaha could trace his descent on his father's side to Toa Rangatira from whom the tribe derived their name. His mother was chieftainess of Ngati Ruakawa and this fact as well as the mana he had acquired on the death of the Raukawa chief Nape enabled him in later years to exercise a certain limited influence over that tribe as well as his own. Little is known of his early life but it seems certain that most of his boyhood days were spent between the settlements of Kawhia and Maungatautari, the home of his mother's people. He was said to have entered eagerly into all the amusements and pastimes that were popular with the Maori children of that day. Often these diversions led him into mischief, and more than once had been the cause of irksome worry and anxiety to his elders. But in spite of his troublesome nature and boisterous spirits, as a child he was credited with an unfailing

respect for his elders as well as a willing obedience to those who might be delegated to give him commands. On one occasion even the request of a slave was instantly obeyed. As he grew older the young Te Rauparaha made his first venture into the business of war. Here his prowess in battle and remarkable qualities of leadership began to show themselves early, and in the eyes of his elders marked him off as a leader of exceptional ability far superior to that of any other member of the tribe. He became at this time, according to traditional accounts, “famous in matters relative to warfare, the cultivating of generosity, and the welcoming of strangers and visiting war parties”. In this respect in particular he cultivated the admiration of his tribe by abolishing the customary practice whereby his field labourers were required to give a portion of the food provided for them to strangers who happened to be visiting Kawhia. He would always insist that his kumara planters should keep their full ration and the visitors be fed with supplies specially prepared for them. This practice became well-known in the district where it was often said of a benevolent Maori, “You are like Te Rauparaha, who first feeds his workmen and then provides for his visitors”. These were the early years of the 19th century. The dreaded musket was starting to make its appearance in the north where it had already sounded the beginning of a great period of devastating slaughter unequalled in the history of the Maori tribes. It was a time of great scheming and strategic planning with every powerful chief striving to gain more power through the acquisition of fire arms, and plotting constantly with Machiavellian cunning to overthrow neighbouring chiefs or to wreak vengeance for past insults. The peculiar rules and laws concerning utu (payment in revenge) seemed to be the motivating force behind every act of aggression. The aggressors were always able to find some excuse for making apparently unprovoked attacks on others and generally justified their actions as being utu in some form or other. In September 1819, less than a year before Hongi sailed for England, a war party of Ngapuhi under the leadership of Tamati Wakanene and his brother Patuone arrived on a friendly visit to Kawhia. Having recently acquired a number of muskets near Hokianga they were keen to test them in a slaughtering and devouring raid against some of the southern tribes. Te Rauparaha readily accepted an invitation to join them, and with a large fighting force of Ngati Toa he headed south with the Ngapuhi taua. S. Percy Smith in his Maori Wars of the 19th Century relates part of a report on this expedition given to Mr John White by an old Maori informant who started at Hokianga on the journey. According to this account one of the main reasons for undertaking the expedition was to avenge the deaths of some of their people who had been killed on a previous journey made to procure mats in exchange for Maori weapons. Among the Ngati Toa warriors of the taua was Te Rangihaeta the son of Te Rauparaha's eldest sister Waitohi. This chief who has been described as one of the fiercest in the war party had become one of Te Rauparaha's ablest lieutenants. He accompanied his uncle on every major undertaking against enemy tribes and throughout the 1840's became the most troublesome chief in the Wellington province. Travelling south the war party attacked the Ngati Ruanui and others along the coast sparing the Ngati Awa who were at that time on friendly terms with Ngati Toa and against whom the Ngapuhi apparently had no grudge. As White's informant says while explaining their passage through Ngati Awa territory “we had no reason for further man-killing having satiated our revenge on those who had killed our people, nothing but the pleasure of so doing. This is why we did not attack the tribes who dwelt on the road we followed. It was only those who menaced us and who obstructed our way whom we killed. This was the reason that we quickly reached the country of the south, Taranaki, having no difficulties on the way”. During a short stay at Kapiti Island Te Rauparaha negotiated a temporary peace with the occupying Ngati Apa, possibly a result of having then conceived a desire to occupy the land in that vicinity at some future date. Shortly after-wards as the taua approached Whanganuiatara a ship was sighted in Cook's Strait and Wakanene on seeing it immediately advised Te Rauparaha to conquer the surrounding district in order to trade with the white man for guns and powder and thus be assured of his future as a great chief. For the remainder of this expedition which took the invaders up past the Hutt Valley and half-way through the Wairarapa, the idea of conquest remained uppermost in Te Rauparaha's mind. On their arrival back at Kawhia many months later he began making plans for permanently removing the Ngati Toa tribe to Kapiti and the adjacent mainland. This proved to be a major undertaking which required the co-operation of other tribes such as the Ngati Tama and Ngati Awa through whose territory the migrating tribe would need to pass. Te Rauparaha successfully used his diplomacy in this direction. Resting places along the proposed route through their territory were designated while suitable cultivating areas were also allotted as it was obvious that the whole journey could not be accomplished in one season. During the two years which lapsed before final arrangements for the journey had been completed certain incidents occurred which intensified the animosity between Ngati Toa and their old enemies of Waikato. Not long after Te Raeparaba's return from the southern expedition with Patuone and Wakanene his first wife Marore was

killed at the instigation of Te Wherowhero while on a visit to Waikato. To atone for her death Te Rauparaha sent out a war party who killed one of the murderer's relatives, Te Moerua of Ngati Maniapoto. This tribe in turn sought vengeance for that death by sending a war party over to Marakopa river where Te Mahutu of Ngati Toa was killed. To score evens in the mounting vendetta Te Rauparaha murdered a notable Mokau woman named Te Arataua. There followed further reprisals by Ngati Maniapoto which eventually led to a large scale attack on Kawhia by that tribe allied with the Ngati Hikariro of Waikato. It seems obvious according to Smith's account of this battle that Ngati Toa would have been doomed to inevitable defeat had it not been for the leniency of Te Hiakai the Waikato chief, who after a short conference in the pa with Te Rauparaha agreed to allow him to proceed south with his tribe. A temporary peace was arranged and after the whole of Kawhia harbour had been ceded to Te Wherowhero and Te Hiakai Te Rauparaha hurriedly departed with his tribe in the night saying to his besiegers: “Behold your land! Do not follow me to the South”. It was under these circumstances that the great heke tahutahuahi started out from Kawhia. The journey to Horowhenua and Kapiti was long and arduous. There were many skirmishes on the way including a battle at Motunui against Waikato who had chosen to ignore the warnings of Te Rauparaha not to follow him. Here Te Hiakai was killed and Te Wherowhero was forced to accept Rauparaha's leniency. At Manawatu and Rangitikei there was more fighting but the Muaupoko wished to adopt a friendly attitude towards Ngati Toa as did also the Ngati Apa and Whanganui tribes. At a conference between Muaupoko and Ngati Apa held at Horowhenua it was decided by Toheriri, the leading Muaupoko chief, to despatch two messengers to the Ngati Toa leader expressing their desire that all should live in peace. Te Rauparaha was reported to have agreed to this proposal but on his arrival at the Manawatu river he killed a Muaupoko woman named Waimai. This naturally infuriated the Muaupoko leaders who with several Whanganui chiefs formulated a plot to kill Te Rauparaha by enticing him to their pa near the banks of the Ohau river. In the meantime with apparently very little opposition Ngati Toa began to settle in and around the district of Ohau. Te Rauparaha and Te Rangihaeta established a pa on the banks of the Waikawa river about a mile up-stream from the coast. It was to this pa that two Muaupoko emissaries came with the request that he visit them at Te Wi on the Ohau river with a view to accepting their generous offer of several magnificent canoes. Te Rangihaeta suspected treachery but tried in vain to persuade his uncle not to heed their offer. “I have had a presentiment that you will be murdered by Muaupokel he said, “Do not go, Raha!” But Te Rauparaha was insistent and furthermore was determined to take only a few men and some of his own children. The party arrived at the pa towards evening when a great feast was prepared in their honour. They were later escorted to their sleeping quarters by Toheriri in whose house Te Rauparaha was to spend the evening. During the night when Toheriri arose to inform his assassins that their victims were ready to be killed, Te Rauparaha awoke, and hearing the sound of hurried footsteps immediately grasped the situation. He could do little to save his friends, however, and himself narrowly escaped death by breaking through a gap in Toheriri's raupo hut and from there made his way through the bush to Waikawa. Because of this outrage Te Rauparaha swore to exterminate the Muaupoko tribe. Some time later they suffered their worst defeat at Horowhenua. Many hundreds were ruthlessly slaughtered by Ngati Toa on the little island pas of lake Horowhenua, although some managed to escape by taking refuge in the surrounding swamps and wild bush country which abounded in the district at that time. The news of this and other successes rapidly spread North. Messengers were also sent to Te Rauparaha's relatives at Maungatautari and Taupo in order to induce the Ngati Raukawa to join him in his conquests. Te Whatanui had already made an attempt to reach Kapiti by way of the East Coast but had been defeated by a Ngati Kahungunu war party in the Hawke's Bay and driven back to the North. This reverse, however did not deter another enthusiastic Raukawa chief named Te Ahukaramu who immediately recruited a fighting force of 120 men and proceeded south to join Ngati Toa. His arrival at Ohau coincided with a reinforcement of Ngati Awa from Taranaki and with these extra forces Te Rauparaha continued to harrass the remnants of Muaupoko.The journey to Horowhenua and Kapiti was long and arduous. There were many skirmishes on the way including a battle at Motunui against Waikato who had chosen to ignore the warnings of Te Rauparaha not to follow him. Here Te Hiakai was killed and Te Wherowhero was forced to accept Rauparaha's leniency. At Manawatu and Rangitikei there was more fighting but the Muaupoko wished to adopt a friendly attitude towards Ngati Toa as did also the Ngati Apa and Whanganui tribes. At a conference between Muaupoko and Ngati Apa held at Horowhenua it was decided by Toheriri, the leading Muaupoko chief, to despatch two messengers to the Ngati Toa leader expressing their desire that all should live in peace. Te Rauparaha was reported to have agreed to this proposal but on his arrival at the Manawatu river he killed a Muaupoko woman named Waimai. This naturally infuriated the Muaupoko leaders who with several Whanganui chiefs formulated a plot to kill Te Rauparaha by enticing him to their pa near the banks of the Ohau river. In the meantime with apparently very little opposition Ngati Toa began to settle in and around the district of Ohau. Te Rauparaha and Te Rangihaeta established a pa on the banks of the Waikawa river about a mile up-stream from the coast. It was to this pa that two Muaupoko emissaries came with the request that he visit them at Te Wi on the Ohau river with a view to accepting their generous offer of several magnificent canoes. Te Rangihaeta suspected treachery but tried in vain to persuade his uncle not to heed their offer. “I have had a presentiment that you will be murdered by Muaupokel he said, “Do not go, Raha!” But Te Rauparaha was insistent and furthermore was determined to take only a few men and some of his own children. The party arrived at the pa towards evening when a great feast was prepared in their honour. They were later escorted to their sleeping quarters by Toheriri in whose house Te Rauparaha was to spend the evening. During the night when Toheriri arose to inform his assassins that their victims were ready to be killed, Te Rauparaha awoke, and hearing the sound of hurried footsteps immediately grasped the situation. He could do little to save his friends, however, and himself narrowly escaped death by breaking through a gap in Toheriri's raupo hut and from there made his way through the bush to Waikawa. Because of this outrage Te Rauparaha swore to exterminate the Muaupoko tribe. Some time later they suffered their worst defeat at Horowhenua. Many hundreds were ruthlessly slaughtered by Ngati Toa on the little island pas of lake Horowhenua, although some managed to escape by taking refuge in the surrounding swamps and wild bush country which abounded in the district at that time. The news of this and other successes rapidly spread North. Messengers were also sent to Te Rauparaha's relatives at Maungatautari and Taupo in order to induce the Ngati Raukawa to join him in his conquests. Te Whatanui had already made an attempt to reach Kapiti by way of the East Coast but had been defeated by a Ngati Kahungunu war party in the Hawke's Bay and driven back to the North. This reverse, however did not deter another enthusiastic Raukawa chief named Te Ahukaramu who immediately recruited a fighting force of 120 men and proceeded south to join Ngati Toa. His arrival at Ohau coincided with a reinforcement of Ngati Awa from Taranaki and with these extra forces Te Rauparaha continued to harrass the remnants of Muaupoko. Kapiti was captured by a war party under the leadership of Te Pehi Kupe, a chief of high rank in Ngati Toa and closely related to Te Rauparaha. Shortly afterwards the whole tribe was withdrawn to the safety of the island. There were threatening movements on the mainland from Ngati Kahungunu and Ngati Ira of the Port Nicholson district, and although Muaupoko had been sufficiently subdued the Rangitane, Ngati Apa, and Whanganui tribes were all keen to strike some decisive blow which would rid them of the troublesome Ngati Toa invader. For this purpose over two thousand fighting men were said to have been assembled for an attack on Kapiti. They came from as far as Waitotara in the North of Arapawa and Massacre Bay in the south, even the Ngati Kahungunu of Waiarapa added their contribution to the force. From Otaki and Waikanae the combined army embarked in canoes which “blackened the sea” between Kapiti and the mainland. There was a fierce conflict on the beach at Waiorua near the northern end of Kapiti and for a time it seemed

that the defenders must soon succumb to the attack but during a lull in the fighting Te Rauparaha unexpectedly arrived with reinforcements from a pa further south on the island. The tide of battle was turned and the attacking force in a great state of confusion were completely routed. “Thus”, wrote T. Lindsay Buick, “the largest force which had ever been marshalled during the Maori wars along this coast was defeated by one of the smallest”. During the celebrations and cannibal feasting which ensued Te Rauparaha taunted his prisoners by chanting the following song of triumph:— “Awhea to ure ka riri? Awhea to ure ka tora? Tukua te ihu ki te tamaiti. Me pewhea; ka kite koe I nga tai whakamanamana. Te toa haere ana, Ka riro he Rongo-mai-whiti.” This version was given to John White by Tamihana Te Rauparaha. “When will your anger dare? When will your power rise? Salute your child with your nose But how salute him now? You will see the rejoicing tide Of the warrior's coming glee And the departure of Rongo-ma-whiti.” It has been suggested by a present day Maori authority on Te Rauparaha that many of his strategic plans and successful conquests could be attributed to the genius of his eldest sister Waitohi. Few major undertakings were entered into, it is said, without her advice and counsel. Although no previous writer has mentioned this possibility, there is nevertheless reasonable evidence that the important question of the settlement and apportioning of the conquered land was left to her discretion. Following a dispute between Ngati Raukawa and those of Ngati Tama under Te Puoho over part of the conquered territory, Waitohi stipulated the boundaries and areas which were to be occupied by the various hapus and tribes. At her request the Ngati Awa moved to Waikanae where they took possession of the land to the south of the Kukutauaki stream. While Ngati Raukawa agreed to occupy the land from the north bank of that stream to as far as the Whangaehu river, Ngati Toa remained on Kapiti and also later occupied Mana Island and Porirua. Buick quotes Te Rauparaha as saying to the leaders of the three tribes, “the lands I now give you are in our joint rule, but I shall be greater in power than you individually”. These were the terms of the transfer and Ngati Raukawa, Ngati Awa and Ngati Toa were said to have agreed unanimously to them. These events occurred about the year 1825, some three years after the great heke tahutahuahi. There had already been white traders and whalers visiting the shores of Kapiti and Cook's Straits. The pakehas looked favourably on this Early portrait of Te Rauparaha (From a drawing in the Turnbull Library, reproduced by permission of the trustees of the F. A. Bett estate). coastline where they planned to operate whaling stations and small trading posts. Many early white settlers were later to regard Te Rauparaha as “everything bad, most treacherous and deceitful”, but this conflicts with the evidence of the Rev. Richard Taylor according to whom: “the whalers and traders, who had the best opportunity of being intimately acquainted with him (and that too at a time when his power to injure was the greatest) invariably spoke of him as having ever been the white man's friend”. The fact probably is that he was extremely friendly to traders he favoured, but much less so to those he had reason to dislike. Taylor, who had met the chief on many occasions, describes him as having been of small stature, “but his countenance was striking; he had a Roman or hooked nose, an eagle glance, which read the thoughts of others without revealing his own, and a look which clearly marked his dauntless bearing. It seemed impossible to take him by surprise; his being long accustomed to command, gave him a dignified demeanour, and his fertility in expedients, a cunning or rather shrewd cast of countenance; even when he was clad in a blanket, few could look at him without being impressed with a feeling that he was no ordinary person.