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Death of Nahu, 1820?

“It was some time after this taua that Nahu was killed, who was a very old man; he was killed by the weapon (mate-a-rakau). It was near the time when the spirit should have left the body. He was a parent of Hine-i-pikitia. Wanikau, of Ngati-Te-Upoko-iti, the man who had the arrangements for the tangi for the dead, declared that the eels, fish, and birds of Te Roto-a-Tara, Te Roto-a-Kiwa, and Te Poukawa should be tapu, and he set up posts by the sides of those lakes to rahui or preserve them, and painted (whakawhai) them with kokowai (red ochre). But that gluttonous man of Kahungunu, Mau-taki, did not consent, because there would be no food for him during the period of reserve, and hence he broke down the posts and burnt them, at the same time cursing Wanikau, saying, ‘Those posts that are burnt are the bones (koiwi) of Wanikau.’ Wanikau was very angry at this curse on his bones, so went to Taupo to fetch a party of revenge. Then Ngati-Tu-whare-toa, Ngati-Pehi, and Ngatiupoko-iri, responded to his call, and arose and came by way of the Wao-nui-a-Tane, killing as they came, until they reached Waipawa. Then they besieged the pa on the island in Roto-a-Tara, that is, Te Awarua-o-Pori-rua, but they could not manage to cross the lake to it.^*

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“The taua now left some divisions to besiege the pa whilst one went to Maunga-wharau, near the forest to the west and then on to Te Aratipi, at Wai-marama, because there was a fishing village of the people of the pa at that place. The taua surprised that village, and a fight took place which resulted in the flight of the taua, which lost Manu-whiri, the younger brother of Te Heuheu of Taupo, Tawake, a great chief of Taupo, and Rangi-marama, the younger brother of Pehi-Turoa of Whanga-nui. The defeated taua came back and joined those who were besieging the pa at Te Roto-a-Tara.”

“When the besiegers learnt of the losses at Maunga-wharau, Te Heuheu, who was the commander of the taua, ordered them to arise and return to their homes (? to Te Aratipi). At dawn of day the taua started for home. In the meantime those in the pa had heard of the defeat of the taua at Maunga-wharau. Now Te Heuheu’s head was grey, and as the taua arose to start home, the people of the pa called out to them, “Oho! tena hoki to upoko hina te tau haere na!” “Oho! there goes thy grey head!” Te Heuheu replied not a word, but waved his hand behind his back, which meant presently he would return and kill them all on account of those words.”