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Maori Wars of the Nineteenth Century:

Expedition to Matamata, 1832

page 445

Expedition to Matamata, 1832.

After the great battle of Hao-whenua in 1830, between the Waikato and Thames tribes, in which the latter were defeated, the Ngati-Paoa branch of the latter together with some of Ngati-Whatua left and proceeded down the river Waikato—Ngati-Whatua to join their relatives at Te Horo, Waipa river, and Ngati-Paoa to their old homes on the Waiheke channel, hauling their canoes over the portage at Otahuhu, whilst some went by way of Maramarua, at the head of which river was another portage leading over to the Gulf of Hauraki. Here Ngati-Paoa lived for some time, until the death of Taka-rua at the hands of Waikato (Ngati-Haua), when an expedition was organised by Ngati-Paoa to obtain revenge. It was just at this juncture that Rewharewha’s division of Nga-Puhi, separating off from the main party under Titore, arrived on the scene, and as these two tribes were related through intermarriage, Nga-Puhi were easily persuaded to make a raid up the Piako and Thames Valleys. The combined taua consisting of 260 Nga-Puhi, and many of Ngati-Paoa, first went to Tararu, Thames, where a great war dance was danced, and they were joined by other of the Thames people. Te Hira of Ngati-Maru, with 200 men and some of the Nga-Puhi, went up the Waihou river and thence to Matamata, where considerable fighting took place, ending in victory for the page 446 invaders. The Ngati-Paoa and the rest of Nga-Puhi paddled up the Piako and there took the Kawe-heitiki pa, from whence after a time the Nga-Puhi rejoined Titore’s force at Katikati. The Nga-Puhi chiefs in this expedition were:–Patu-one, Te Waka, Kainga-mata, Wharepoaka, Rewharewha, Te Whare-rahi, Te Taonui and Raumati—the two latter accompanied Te Hira. The Hauraki chiefs were:—Kohirangatira, Taharoku, Hauauru, Haora and Tipa. The celebrated Taraia Nga-kuti was at that time with Te Rau-paraha in the south at the taking of Kai-apohia, near Christchurch.

But to return to the main part of the Tauranga expedition. Titore sailed leisurely down the coast, entering Katikati Heads on the 5th March, where they joined forces with those of Rewharewha, who already had been engaged with Ngai-Te-Rangi, but without any result. The expedition, consisting of eighty canoes and boats, then passed on between Mata-kana island and the main, camping at Karopua on the 7th. This was about two miles from the Ngai-Te-Rangi position at Otu-moe-tai. Several skirmishes took place on the 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th. And so it continued with many desultory skirmishes throughout April, and their expedition returned to the Bay sometime in July or August, having accomplished very little, for the southern natives were by this time fairly equipped with arms, and Nga-Puhi did not find their enemies so easy to conquer. “Nga-Puhi page 447 were not beaten, but wearied, humbled, and confessing to failure, the God of the missionaries, they said, had been too strong for them.”

April 23rd, 1832, Rev. Mr. Davies, writing of the state of the natives (Nga-Puhi), says, “Many have died of sickness and disease, while a greater number have been cut down in the field of battle, in fact they bid fair for annihilation, for the island is at this time in a very turbulent state. The poor creatures are now pretty generally supplied with fire-arms and ammunition, and instead of going in small parties as usual, they now collect themselves together and fight army against army, and in some cases, it is feared, Europeans join them. About three weeks since, I met a respectable man at the Bay, who had made a voyage round New Zealand in his own vessel, as commander and trader; he told me he had lost by his voyage £1,500. His principal object was flax, but as the natives were so universally involved in war, he could get nothing of the kind from them and the consequence was he was then on his return to Port Jackson.” “Mr. Chapman, a respectable settler, a flax agent, who was going to reside at the Thames, informed me that for these five years past, the natives of that beautiful part had not been allowed to cultivate except here and there in secluded valleys–those of Whangarei, a stronger party making a continual attack on them, and they had been so driven about that with few exceptions, they had left all their seed and food, and were there page 448 fore living almost exclusively on fern-root and fish, and live in a dreadful state of continuous alarm.” As a matter of fact, the bulk of the Thames tribes—Maru-tuahu and its subdivisions—had fled inland to Matamata, Waikato, &c., to escape these constant Nga-Puhi raids.

As showing a few of the old customs and superstitions of the Maoris in those days, the following is quoted from the “Record,” describing Titore’s expedition to Tauranga. “Rauroha was no doubt glad of the release, for he had suffered whilst on board from one of their superstitions; he had cut and dressed his brother’s hair prior to his coming on board, and therefore dare not go below lest he should be killed by the atua (god). The weather being bad, he had been obliged to squat for three nights under the long boat.…Titore, after landing this morning with his party, invoked the god of the wind and the waves thus:—A handful of seaweed which had been cast up by the sea, is selected from the beach, and having been dipped in the sea, is fastened to the limb of a tree as an offering to their imaginary god; an incantation is then said by the principal chief, his party being present.” January 27th, “Arrived at the place where Hinaki had been driven from Tamaki (vide ante 1821), and we sat down for refreshment. One of our lads was requested to give the chiefs some biscuit; he replied, “Bye and bye.” Our old chief Whare-nui was in the midst of a page 449 karakia (incantation) with a short piece of stick in his hand, one end of which was placed on a piece of beef. He continued this for seven or eight minutes, and after he had ended, Kupenga took the stick and did the same. This, we find, is to render the place free, for it had been tapu since the death of Hinaki.” This of course was to whakanoa, or make common, the place where blood had been shed. The “Record” notes that about 1832 the Maoris first began to get intoxicated.