320
18 Dating the Last Migration to New Zealand
O aged! Is a war-party at hand?” The god replied, “Not a bit of a war-party, O aged man!
No fighting whatever, O old chief! Will come hither against you. Rest quietly.”
Early, and at break of day, the war-party rushed on the big house on all sides, and great
was the slaughter of Ta-wheta’s people, but Ta-wheta escaped. Though he was pursued, he
got away; whence arose the proverbial saying, “Through flight only was Ta-wheta saved.”
The priest, Hapopo, they dragged out of the house and killed. As he was being killed, he
exclaimed, “Lying and deceiving god, you have escaped, leaving the trouble with Hapopo.”
These words have ever since been used and handed down as a proverb.
Pai-mahu-tanga (nicely healed, or good warmth) was the only one who was made prisoner and rescued from the slaughter by the warriors of Whati-ua. The slain were cooked in
ovens and the warriors fed on them, and some were carried back to the pa of Whati-ua.
Thus was fully avenged the death of Ma-putu-ki-te-rangi, Mahina-I-te-rangi, Ropa-nui,
Whiwhinga-I-te-rangi, Rongo-ua-roa, Hotu-kura (sob for the red), Inanga-tapu-ki-te-whao
(white-coloured greenstone made sacred as a chisel), Rangi-whetu (sky of stars), and their
companions by Ta-wheta. Those whose names are here given were all chiefs who fell on
that occasion.
When the war-party got back to their home they gave Pai-mahu-tanga, the daughter of
Ta-wheta, as a wife for Ue-nuku; and thus ended the first slaughter, which was commanded
by Whati-ua-taka-marae (run from the rain and occupant of the courtyard).
Notwithstanding this slaughter, Ue-nuku still thirsted for revenge for his murdered children and people. He again commanded a war-expedition to be made ready and launched,
and Ue-nuku ordered that each canoe should be provided with extra stone anchors and long
cable-ropes. The expedition set forth.
On this occasion Ue-nuku took with him two celebrated garments of his ancestor
Tu-mata-u-enga (god of war of the trembling face), in order to become a defensive
armour for him. These garments were called Te-rangi-tuitui (the heaven sewed up) and
Te-rangi-kahupapa (the heaven bridged over). These had been taken care of by Ue-nuku,
who was lineal descendant of Tu-mata-u-enga.
The war-party started and came to Matiko-tai and Po-ranga-hau – to the pa of Ta-wheta.
Ue-nuku gave orders that the canoes should cast their anchors a little outside of the waves
breaking on the coast, and by paying away the cable let them drift in close to the beach.
Ta-wheta and his people, having witnessed this, rushed down to attack them if they landed,
and even waded out into the surf. One of the party of Ta-wheta, called Putuua-ki-te-rangi
(laid in heaps in heaven) went out so far that he was seized by the people of Ue-nuku and
dragged into one of their canoes. Ue-nuku at once ordered the people to pull on the cables of
the stone anchors and draw the canoes out to sea, where they killed this first prisoner, cut his
chest open, and tore his heart out. They then made a sacred fire by friction, and roasted the
heart. When cooked, they covered it and the sacred fire with the two sacred garments which
Ue-nuku had brought with him. Then Ue-nuku stood up in the canoe and called on the mist
of the summit of the mountain called Tiri-kawa (to repeat over and over again the ceremony
of baptism), saying, “Attend, fall down, and encompass; fall down and cover up.” And the
day became suddenly dark, and stars were seen in the sky. Ue-nuku and his people listened,
and Ta-wheta and his people were heard fighting amongst themselves in the darkness and
killing each other: curses and groans were heard, and also the hollow-sounding blows on
each other’s heads from their clubs. Ue-nuku called on the mist, and said, “Clear up,” and
it became clear bright daylight. The war-party looked from their canoes, and saw that many
of Ta-wheta’s people were still alive. Again Ue-nuku commanded the mist, saying, “Fall
on, cover up,” and it became as dark as night, and Ta-wheta’s people again began to slay
each other with great fury. By-and-by Ue-nuku called again on the mist and said, “The mist
of Tiri-kawa, break up, clear up at once;” and again it was clear day.
Ue-nuku, thinking Ta-wheta’s people had destroyed each other, pulled the garments off
the heart and fire, and, looking at the sea, saw it covered with floating corpses and red with
the blood of the many slain.
18 Dating the Last Migration to New Zealand
O aged! Is a war-party at hand?” The god replied, “Not a bit of a war-party, O aged man!
No fighting whatever, O old chief! Will come hither against you. Rest quietly.”
Early, and at break of day, the war-party rushed on the big house on all sides, and great
was the slaughter of Ta-wheta’s people, but Ta-wheta escaped. Though he was pursued, he
got away; whence arose the proverbial saying, “Through flight only was Ta-wheta saved.”
The priest, Hapopo, they dragged out of the house and killed. As he was being killed, he
exclaimed, “Lying and deceiving god, you have escaped, leaving the trouble with Hapopo.”
These words have ever since been used and handed down as a proverb.
Pai-mahu-tanga (nicely healed, or good warmth) was the only one who was made prisoner and rescued from the slaughter by the warriors of Whati-ua. The slain were cooked in
ovens and the warriors fed on them, and some were carried back to the pa of Whati-ua.
Thus was fully avenged the death of Ma-putu-ki-te-rangi, Mahina-I-te-rangi, Ropa-nui,
Whiwhinga-I-te-rangi, Rongo-ua-roa, Hotu-kura (sob for the red), Inanga-tapu-ki-te-whao
(white-coloured greenstone made sacred as a chisel), Rangi-whetu (sky of stars), and their
companions by Ta-wheta. Those whose names are here given were all chiefs who fell on
that occasion.
When the war-party got back to their home they gave Pai-mahu-tanga, the daughter of
Ta-wheta, as a wife for Ue-nuku; and thus ended the first slaughter, which was commanded
by Whati-ua-taka-marae (run from the rain and occupant of the courtyard).
Notwithstanding this slaughter, Ue-nuku still thirsted for revenge for his murdered children and people. He again commanded a war-expedition to be made ready and launched,
and Ue-nuku ordered that each canoe should be provided with extra stone anchors and long
cable-ropes. The expedition set forth.
On this occasion Ue-nuku took with him two celebrated garments of his ancestor
Tu-mata-u-enga (god of war of the trembling face), in order to become a defensive
armour for him. These garments were called Te-rangi-tuitui (the heaven sewed up) and
Te-rangi-kahupapa (the heaven bridged over). These had been taken care of by Ue-nuku,
who was lineal descendant of Tu-mata-u-enga.
The war-party started and came to Matiko-tai and Po-ranga-hau – to the pa of Ta-wheta.
Ue-nuku gave orders that the canoes should cast their anchors a little outside of the waves
breaking on the coast, and by paying away the cable let them drift in close to the beach.
Ta-wheta and his people, having witnessed this, rushed down to attack them if they landed,
and even waded out into the surf. One of the party of Ta-wheta, called Putuua-ki-te-rangi
(laid in heaps in heaven) went out so far that he was seized by the people of Ue-nuku and
dragged into one of their canoes. Ue-nuku at once ordered the people to pull on the cables of
the stone anchors and draw the canoes out to sea, where they killed this first prisoner, cut his
chest open, and tore his heart out. They then made a sacred fire by friction, and roasted the
heart. When cooked, they covered it and the sacred fire with the two sacred garments which
Ue-nuku had brought with him. Then Ue-nuku stood up in the canoe and called on the mist
of the summit of the mountain called Tiri-kawa (to repeat over and over again the ceremony
of baptism), saying, “Attend, fall down, and encompass; fall down and cover up.” And the
day became suddenly dark, and stars were seen in the sky. Ue-nuku and his people listened,
and Ta-wheta and his people were heard fighting amongst themselves in the darkness and
killing each other: curses and groans were heard, and also the hollow-sounding blows on
each other’s heads from their clubs. Ue-nuku called on the mist, and said, “Clear up,” and
it became clear bright daylight. The war-party looked from their canoes, and saw that many
of Ta-wheta’s people were still alive. Again Ue-nuku commanded the mist, saying, “Fall
on, cover up,” and it became as dark as night, and Ta-wheta’s people again began to slay
each other with great fury. By-and-by Ue-nuku called again on the mist and said, “The mist
of Tiri-kawa, break up, clear up at once;” and again it was clear day.
Ue-nuku, thinking Ta-wheta’s people had destroyed each other, pulled the garments off
the heart and fire, and, looking at the sea, saw it covered with floating corpses and red with
the blood of the many slain.