1851 - Cooper, G. S. Journal of an Expedition Overland from Auckland to Taranaki - [Pages 252-310]

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holes dug in the ground, when the Chiefs and principal men had been shot, &c, &c. Alter crossing this creek we descended to the bank of the Horotiu, and crossed a considerable stream waist deep, called Pueto, on the bank of which were a couple of deserted huts; we then ascended a steep bank, which brought us to a table land at a height of about eighty fee from the river, after a walk of about a quarter of a mile opposite to a small settlement called Takapou, situated on a tongue of land on the left bank of the river. As there was no firewood on our side, we hailed the pa, and they presently brought us a supply, with some potatoes over in a canoe, It was by this time a quarter to nine and we halted for breakfast, when we were visited by the chief of Takapou, who came over to pay his homage to the Governor and Te Heu Heu; he was a very rough savage looking man, dressed in a dirty red blanket, and the style of his conversation was any thing but civil. He told us that the natives at Taupo, belonging to the tribe of Te Herekiekie or Tuhaha (a powerful Chief living near Te Heu Heu, but between whose tribe and that of the latter chief, there had been a feeling of animosity for a long time), would not permit the burial of the bones of the late Te Heu Heu, elder brother of the present chief o that name who perished when his pa (called Te Rapa) was overwhelmed with boiling mud in May, 1847, in the crater of Tongariro, and also that they intended to oppose the ascent of the said mountain by the Governor and his party. So determined, said he, was Te Herekiekie on

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kaae a Te Herekiekie i Taupo kia nehua nga iwi o Te Heuheu nui. He ngangaretanga no nga iwi o Te Heuheu raua ko Te Herekiekie i riri ai taua rangatira, kia kaua e tanumia. I mate a Te Heuheu nui i te marama o Mei, 1847, i horoa te pa a Te Rapa i te waiariki koropupu ake i te maunga o Tongariro. I mea hoki ia, ekore pea e whakaae a Tuhaha kia piki a te Kawana ma ki taua maunga. I mea ano hoki ia, ki te tohe a te Kawana kia kakea Tongariro, ka mau taua hunga ki te patu. I kino matou ki tenei rongo; otiia, i mea a Te Iwikau kia kaua nga kupu o taua tangata, e maharatia, kihai i ata tika tana korero, I mea hoki ia, hei aha mana nga korero o Tuhaha ratou ko nga tangata, ki te pono aua kupu, ekore ano ia, a Te Heuheu, e mataku. No te mutunga o te kai, o te korero; ka mutu hoki nga tangata te okioki, ka kopere ano matou, kua tae, ki te te kau ma tahi o nga haora; ko Horotiu i kapea ki muri. I anga to matou ara ki te marangai-ma-tonga; ka tu tonu te ra, ka pa matou ki Rotokawa; e tata ana tenei roto ki te maunga o Tautara. Tangeo tonu te wai o tenei roto, no reira tona ingoa. He waiwhanariki ano kei te taha Raro o te roto. I kopiko haere to matou ara i te take o Tautara, marama tonu te titiro ki taua maunga. Momona tonu te oneone o tenei wahi, kino

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this point, that he would use force or even arms if necessary. This intelligence was by no means cheering, but our friend Te Heu Heu told us not to mind it, as he did not altogether believe all this man said, and besides, even if it were true, he cared but little for Mr. Tuhaha and all his tribe. Breakfast and the korero over, and our natives somewhat rested, (for we had had a tough walk), we started again at eleven, leaving the Horotiu behind us, our road leading us in a more south-easterly direction than formerly, and at noon we arrived at a small lake called Rota Kawa, or the bitter lake, situated near the base of the noble mountain of Tautara, which lies south-east from it. This lake derives its name from the strongly aluminous taste of its waters. There are some boiling springs at the northern end of the lake. Our track then led us round a part of the base of Tautara, of which we had a fine view. Being the only piece of really rich land for some distance, it is covered nearly to the top with patches of cultivation, cleared from amidst the timber with which the mountain is clothed. On this part of the plain there are a good many Kahikatoa shrubs of stunted growth, each apart from the rest, and having the appearance of dwarf larches. Altogether this is by far the most picturesque part of the whole plain, between the place where the traveller loses sight of Roto Mahana till he obtains his first view of the noble lake, or rather inland sea, of Taupo. After leaving Tauwhara we passed through some more sul-

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tonu te nuinga atu o te whenua. He ngakinga kei nga kahiwi o taua maunga, eke noa ki te tihi; he mea para nga rakau, he ngahere hoki a Tautara. E whai kahikatoa ana te raorao, kihai ia i roroa aua rakau; Waihoki i tu takitahi. E pai ana te ahua o tenei wahi o te raorao; ko te wahi ia e pahemo ai i te kanohi a Rotomahana, e kitea atu ai hoki te roto whakahara o Taupo. Ka mahue a Tauwhara ka pa ki Waikore, he ngawha ano ia. Mau pu matou i a Te Heuheu i konei; i hohoro hoki te haere o matou Pakeha, kahore hoki a matou kawenga, koia i hohoro ai te hikoi o te wae. I whakaoma tonu mai a Te Heuheu, koa tonu ia, kua tutata hoki ki te kainga, hikoinga tahi ka anga nui mai a Taupo. I koa ano matou mo nga kupu harihari o Te Heuheu, e tupekepeke haere ana, kotete tonu nga ngutu ki te korero. I te tahi o nga haora wahi ki te rua ka kite nui atu i te roto; ano te pai o te ahua! Ano te nui, pouri ke mai ana nga puke o tera taha o te roto; kihai i ata kitea atu i te whanui o te wai. Kotahi haora i muri iho ka tae ki te parepare o te roto, ki Waipahihi, he awa whanariki kei reira; i kaukau matou ki taua awa. Kei tetahi rae kokiri ki waho a Waipahihi, kei tawahi atu te kainga, a Rangatira, ko te ingoa hou o taua wahi--ko Hiruharama; ko te kuinga tenei o te awa o

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phurous springs called Waikore, Here Te Heu Heu overtook us (the European party, who, having nothing to carry, had outstripped our convoy by some distance); the old man was running, and in the greatest imaginable delight. He was now within a few miles of his home--in a few minutes we should be ia sight of Taupo, and the poor old fellow, though really somewhat fatigued, quite amused us with his expressions of pleasure, and the activity with which he trotted on leading the way, laughing and chattering as garrulous as possible. At half-past one we came in sight of the lake, which presented a magnificent appearance, and is so large that the hills on the opposite shore look quite blue and indistinct in the distance. An hour afterwards we reached the margin of the lake, at a spot called Waipahihi, where a small stream of tepid water runs into the lake, and in which we enjoyed a delightful bathe. Waipahihi is on one side of an arm of the lake, on the opposite side of which is the settlement of Rangatira, recently named Hiruharama (Jerusalem). This branch forms the source of the Waikato river, although the natives trace it from the farther extremity of the lake, into which a stream runs close to the settlement of Tokanae, which stream rises at the base of Tongariro. This, the natives say, is the real source of the Waikato, which they trace through the lake to its outlet near Jerusalem. The Waikato is about fifty yards wide at its source. Our natives did not arrive till four, when we lit a large fire as a signal that we wanted canoes

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Waikato. E mea ana nga tangata Maori kef te take o Tongariro te kuinga o Waikato, ka rere mai te awa i te taha o Tokanae, ka ra roto i nga wai o Taupo, a--Hiruharama. Erua te kau ma rima whanganga, te whanui o te awa o Waikato ki tenei wahi. No te wha o nga haora ka tae mai nga tangata; no reira ka tahutahu ahi kia hoea mai he waka i Hiruharama. No te ono ka u mai nga waka; otiia, kihai i hoe atu i te keri o te hau, moe tonu iho matou i konei. Whakapaia ana nga whare, takoto marire ana.

Wenetei, Hanuere te 2, 1850. --I te rima o nga haora, ka haehae te ata, ka maranga i te moe; kihai i na nga karu i te koanuanu mai o te roto, kahore hoki i matatoru nga kahu moenga. He ata pai noa iho, marino ana; ko te matao ia, wero tonu ki te tangata. Tae rawa ake ki te ono o nga haora kua oti nga mea katoa te uta ki nga waka; kotahi haora ki te wai ka u ki te tauranga ki Hiruharama. Tutaki noa maua ki a Te Peneha; kihai i whakahua nga tangata o tenei wahi i te karanga mo te manuwhiri; he mea ke hoki e akona ana e Te Peneha. Engari he tira tangata i haere mai i te ara ratou ko te Minita, ko Puhipi te hoa o te Mihenere ko te Rawiri tera o tenei Hiruharama Maori. Ka mutu te ringaringa ki nga tangata ka piki ake ki te pa;

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sent across from Jerusalem. The canoes arrived at six; but by that time the wind had sprung up, and it blew so fresh that the natives were afraid to venture on the water, so we were obliged to make up our minds to remain where we were till morning, and immediately set about pitching our tents and making all snug for the night.

Wednesday, January 2nd, 1850. --Rose at five, after an uncomfortable night, caused by the cold wind blowing off the lake, which kept us, with our light travelling stock of bedding, rather cool than comfortable. It was a beautiful calm morning, but somewhat cold still. By six o'clock we had embarked every thing in the canoes, which had been sent over for us the preceding evening, and after an hour's pull we reached the landing place at Jerusalem. Here we were met by the Rev. Mr. Spencer, and thanks to the civilizing effects of his labours, the heathen ceremony of welcome was omitted; but instead thereof we were met on the road which leads to the pa by a long train of solemn looking natives of both sexes and all ages, headed by their pastor, attended by his coadjutor, Puhipi, the native teacher, and who is also the chief of the settlement--or the David of this Maori Jerusalem. When the ceremony of presentation and the shaking of hands had been completed, we proceeded in solemn procession up the hill to the pa, where it was the Governor's intention to remain for some hours. We therefore had our tents brought up, and pitched within the enclosure, whilst we regaled ourselves with some breakfast. After breakfast

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ko konei hoki a te Kawana nohonoho ai. Kawea ake ana nga teneti, whakaturia ana ki roto ki te taiepa; ka tahuna te kai, ka maoa, ka kai; a, haerere ana kia kite i nga mea o te pa. He kainga noho hou tenei, kiano i ata oti noa te whakapai. Hore he rawa o nga tangata o tenei wahi; hokorua pea taua hunga. No te mutunga o te kai, ka tahuri a Te Peneha ki te taka i te kai awatea; he poaka nei, ko te iwituararoa, he mea huki. He nui taua matu, etoru pea te kau pauna. He timata te raka i hukia ai taua poaka, he manga rakau nei nga mea i poua ki te taha o taua mea korapa. I mea ia ki a te Kawana, e tautohetohe ana nga tangata o aua tini kainga ki te wahi e noho ai te Minita; kiano hoki i Taupo i nohoia e te Mihenere. He mea whakahara te nohoanga o te Mihenere ki te kainga Maori; ko te mea tenei i tohe ai te tini o te rangatira kia noho i a ratou.

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we strolled about the pa for a short time to see the lions. It is a newly settled village, and is, in fact, in course of construction. The population is small and very poor: they amount apparently to thirty or forty people. Immediately after breakfast the hospitable missionary set about the preparations for the next meal, which was to consist of a huge piece of pork cut in rather a novel manner; it was in fact) the back of an immense pig, containing the whole of both loins, and might have weighed about thirty pounds. This was spitted secundum artem on a Maori timata or spear, which was supported at each end upon a forked stick driven into the ground, and in front of the edifice was an enormous fire to roast the meat withal. Mr. Spencer informed the Governor "that the natives in this district were all at loggerheads as to where

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Ka mea tetahi ki a ia noho ai; ka mea tetahi ki a ia; no konei, ka ririri te tokomaha, a, ko te tukunga iho o tera, he muru i nga taonga o te whare o te Minita. Heoi ano te iwi nui o te roto, ko to Te Heuheu; ko te mea ia he hunga karakia kore. Kotahi kainga i tutata ki to Te Heuheu, no Te Herekiekie; i whakakake enei iwi erua ki a raua, i tua iho, a, mohoa e noho nei. He whanga no Waikato nga tangata o Hiruharama, a, ki te mea, ka tupu he whainga ka uru a Waikato hei hoa mo taua hunga. I hiahia pu enei iwi e toru, me era atu o te tahataha o Taupo kia nohoia a reira e tetahi Mihenere, a, whakauaua ana te tokomaha kia riro atu ki ia kainga, ki ia kainga. Roa nei te meatanga ka turia te korero; ko te Kawana, ko te Peneha, ko te Heuheu, ko Puhipi; korero nei, a--whakaae ana te katoa kia noho te Minita i a Puhipi. I mea nga kai korero kia kaua nga tangata o

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the mission station was to be placed (for as yet no missionary had been located at Taupo). A missionary is always looked upon as a great acquisition to the settlement at which he may fix his station, and it was therefore somewhat difficult to decide amongst so many different candidates for the honour of affording him a residence, more particularly as it was a subject very likely to lead to hostilities between rival tribes, in course of which the pastor was not at all unlikely to have his station robbed. Te Hue Hue's tribe, at the other side of the water, was the most numerous, and in every respect the strongest party on the lake, but they were all heathens Mr. Spencer, said he would much prefer living amongst his friends at Jerusalem, who were all quiet, orderly Christians, for whom he had already partly erected a chapel and commenced a school. There is another heathen settlement near to that of Te Heu Heu, the residence of Te Herekiekie, whose tribe has from time immemorial been a powerful rival to that of the former. These three tribes, (for though the people of Jerusalem are themselves of little consequence, yet they belong to the powerful Waikato, who in case of war would be opponents not to be

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Hiruharama e pokanoa ki te riri ua hahua nga iwi o te Heuheu nui; i riri kino hoki taua hunga, i mea, he ritenga tera no te kuaretanga, a, me whakarere. Ko tetahi tenei o nga mea i riri ai taua hunga, he mea kei riro te mana o Tongariro i a Te Heuheu; ko taua maunga hoki takoto ai nga iwi o tona whanaunga. Ko nga kupu whakamataku o Te Herekiekie, i meinga, kia kaua era e maharatia, me waiho ratou kia whakahua noa i te kupu matangerengere, kaua e whakarongana. Na ki te mea ka tohe a Te Herekiekie ma ki te tutu, ma nga iwi e rua kua rite nei nga whakaaro, e pehi to ratou riri. I nga tangata e korero ra, e tirotiro ana a Te Peneha raua ko Puhipi i te poaka e tunu ra; i kawea hoki ki te taha o te ahi korero ai kia ahei ai te tirotiro i te kinaki ra. He mutunga no te korero, he maoatanga no te kai; kai rawa ake kua keri te hau, te whiti ki tawahi, ka kawea nga teneti ki te wahi ruru. Ka porehe te kai, ka puta te ua, i reira, popo ana nga tangata o aua tini kainga ki nga tatau o o matou whare; he hoko te mea i haere mai ai, he taraha nei nga mea, he kurupounamu, he kete rangatu, he tangariki, me era atu mea. Hauwarea ana te ahua o nga tangata, kikino tonu nga koheka, kua roa hoki e kai ana i

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sionary, and were determined to use every means in their power to accomplish their object, a Korero therefore ensued upon this important subject, between the Governor, Mr. Spencer, Te Heu Heu and Puhipi, in which it was after much discussion determined, that, Puhipi should have the missionary upon the condition that his tribe should offer no opposition to the intended burial, after Te Heu Heu's own fashion, of the bones of his brother, to which proceeding the Jerusalem party were strongly opposed, because it was against their consciences to permit the solemnization of a heathen rite of so much importance, and also for other reasons connected with a sort of claim which it would give to their rivals to the mountain of Tongariro, in the crater of which it was intended to deposit the bones. As for Te Herekiekie and others, who were clamouring, it was determined not to mind them, as the two tribes who had now came to an amicable understanding would be quite sufficient to make them keep quiet. The wish of Mr. Spencer's heart was therefore gratified, and it was decided that his residence should be fixed at Jerusalem. All this time the pork had been roasting, (attended to now and then by Mr. Spencer and Puhipi, the place of conference having been purposely chosen near the fire,) and the wind had been rising, so when it was all over we found that our dinner was nearly ready and that it would be impossible to venture on the lake that day, so we moved our tents to a sheltered place and made up our minds to remain for the night. After dinner it

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te roi. Ano te hoha ki to ratou mahi pinene; ki te kai, ki te moni, ki te paura, ki te kakahu; me rite ra nei ki a ratou nga Pakeha motiro, He tupeka te mea i tino inoia e ratou, he rau pakaka nei nga mea hei "puhipuhi mo te paipa tonotono," na ratou ano era i whakatupu, Heoi ano te mea i kapohia e aua tangata ko te hangere taro, kitea rawatea ake kei tawhiti e haere ana, te taea te whakahoki mai. I mate matou i te tahaetanga o te taro ra, he mea kino te paraoa i mahue, kua i ke, i te uanga o te ua i Hauraki mai ano. He nui ia te raihi i a matou, na reira i ora ai i te roa o te ara.

Taitei, Hanuere 3, 1851. --Kua whakaaro a Te Peneha ki te tikanga mo te manuwhiri i rangona e ia, kia, "kakama ki te karanga i te manuwhiri, kia whakahohoro i to ratou haerenga," ka whakaohoa matou e ia i te rua o nga haora o te ata. Ano to matou riri, kiano hoki i tiaho noa te. Maramatanga, he mea whakau te rama whare koia i tika ai te whakakakahu. Heoi ia te karanga hohoro, kua oti noa ake tera i a Te Peneha i nanahi ra. Muri tata iho o te toru o nga haora ka takina te kai ki tahaki, otira, manu rawa ake kua tae ki te ono o nga haora, i warea hoki e nga tangata, no te totoanga o nga waka tetahi wahi. Nawai, a--ka tiaia te hoe, ka anga ki

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began to rain so that we were confined for a short time in our tents, when we were beseiged by a host of the wretched ill clad, and half starved inhabitants of the village, (they had been living on fern-root for some time). The scene had something the resemblance of a fair, the natives bringing us for sale curiosities of all descriptions, tarahas, green-stone ornaments, ornamented kits, &c, &c, of which we purchased several. They tormented us as greatly with their begging, food, money, gunpowder, clothes, or in fact anything they happend to see was immediately asked for with an importunity that would have done credit to an Irish beggar, but most of all, tobacco and pipes, which were very rare articles amongst them, indeed the only kind of tobacco the poor people had, consisted of the dried leaves of some they had themselves grown. I must say, however, that they sustain the Maori character for honesty very well, the only thing we missed being the remainder of our scanty stock of biscuit already reduced to a very low ebb; this however, was a serious loss, as the only flour we had left was some of that which had been damaged by the bad weather we experienced on the Thames, --we had however plenty of rice which we afterwards found very useful.

Thursday. January 3, 1850. --Mr. Spencer having somewhere heard that the definition of true hospitality is to "welcome the coming and speed the parting guest"--and having yesterday fulfilled the first part of his duty as our host at Jerusalem, was determined that this morning the second portion should not be neglected, so he roused all hands at two a. m.,

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Pukawa, ki te pa o Te Heuheu. Kei te auru-ma-tonga ia wahi, i tera taha o te roto; ki te whakamaro tonu i Hiruharama, erua te kau ma rima maero. I awhio haere te hoe o nga waka mataku whakarere hoki nga tangata ki te hoe ma waho, kei kainga roroatia e Horomatangi, te taniwha whakawehi o aua wai. E meinga ana, e hurihia katoatia ana nga waka e pa ana ki tona nohoanga, a, horerawa, he momo e puta, hei korero ki nga hoa. Na te aha--na te aha ra nei i rangona ai tenei e nga tangata katoa o te roto; otira, ko nga matakite, me nga tohunga Maori hei titiro i te pena, ngaro noa iho i te rau.

I anga mai to matou waka i te marangai-ma-raro; e ahu atu ana te hoe ki te marangai, ki te tonga hoki. Papaku tonu nga tahataha o te roto i te timatanga atu o te taha marangai; ururua ana te rahurahu. Tua atu o tenei he pari nga tahataha ma mai ana, he tuahu kei runga atu o nga pari; ko te ahua i pera me te oneone i toro i te ahi, a mutu whakarere te ka; he pera ra nei me te koropuputanga whanariki, mutu pu, a, matao tonu iho nga oneone. I tua atu o nga tuahu nei, e rere ana nga kaka, ko te mea tenei i whakaaroa ai, he horo aua mea no mua noa atu, kua kapi hoki tenei i te rahurahu, a, e kokiri ake ana nga rau pai o te karaka i roto i aua koraha.

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to our annoyance, as we were obliged to tumble up and dress by candle light. Breakfast was ready by a little after three, but after all we were delayed until six, by the difficulty of getting the canoes and their crews in readiness. At last, however, we started fairly for Pukawa, the pa of Te Heu Heu, situated at the further (south-western) extremity of the lake--a distance of upwards of twenty-five miles in a straight line, but which for us was much further, as we had to coast round the shores of the lake, the natives being afraid to venture out into the centre, on account of a terrible taniwha, called Horomatangi, who upsets every canoe that comes within his dominions, and eats up their crews, never having been known to leave a single person, who fell into his clutches, alive to tell the tale. How it happens, that this is known so well to all the natives on the lake appears somewhat strange; but the tohungas (priests) have mysterious ways of discovering such things, which are perfectly unfathomable to the uninitiated.

As we started from, the north-east end of the lake, the shores we had to travel round were the eastern and southern ones. The first part of the eastern shore which we passed is low, and covered with a rank vegetation of fern. It then becomes bold, with lofty white cliffs, at the top of which the ground is broken into innumerable little hillocks, which look as if the whole of the surface had been in commotion, and as it were boiling, then suddenly arrested, or cooled, leaving it in its present

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He moutere kei tenei wahi, tapu rawa ki nga tangata Maori; he parekura hoki i reira i mua ai; heoi ra ano te motu o tera roto Kahore he pari o te taha ki te tonga, ko te ahua mai, humarie tonu; he tini nga koru, a, e tupu haere ana tera rakau rangatira--te karaka; pai tonu te ahua o nga whenua na tupu ake tera tu rakau. Ko te pa tawhito o Motutere, kei tetahi raenga; ko tenei, kahore he tangata, ruarua ake nei. Ka wahi te iwa o nga haora ki te tekau ka u, oranoa taka te wha o nga haora o to maua nohoanga kopipiri ki te waka. No Te Heuheu ano nga tangata o Motutere; ko te mea tera i oho ai nga tangata katoa o taua wahi, a, tukua ana nga turi ki raro ki te tangi. Karangarangatia ana he kai ma te manuwhiri Maori ra; ko matou i noho ki te kai raihi he kahawai te kinaki; ko nga pereti ke paraharaha, he tira nga oka me nga maripi, he rino nga koko. Otiia, kihai i mea, kia whakapaipaia te kai, e ngaua ana hoki maua e te hia kai, na reira, "ka tominamina, ka torekareka" te kai. Erangi te tangata haere te tango i era kai i te kahawai, i te raihi; kei maki tahu te kahawai, e takoto maoa ana hoki tera ki nga ipu o tawahi mai, ko te raihi, hohoro tonu tera te maoa. Heaha koia nga oka tira, me nga paro rino i maharatia ai? he haere hoki, ehara i te kainga tupu. He kai pai te

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shape. As, however, there was still higher land at the back of these hillocks, the probability is, that they have been formed by a succession of small landslips, which must have occurred a very long time ago, as they are now covered with a luxuriant growth of fern, with a number of karaka trees interspersed. Opposite this side is a small island, (the only one on the lake,) held very sacred by the natives, as the site of a terrible carnage in former times. The southern shore is low, and in some places very pretty, being broken by several picturesque bays, and on the low land and sheltered spots are a great many well grown karaka trees--the beautiful native laurel -- which much enhances the beauty of any place in which they chance to grow. On a promontory, is the settlement of Motutere, a very old pa containing now but few inhabitants. Here we arrived at half-past nine, having been pent up In an uncomfortable and over-manned canoe for three hours and three-quarters. As the natives of Motutere belong to Te Heu Heu's party, there was of course a tremendous fuss on our landing, not forgetting the usual dismal ceremony of the tangi. Preparations for a great feast for the natives were immediately commenced, whilst we partook of a lunch of preserved salmon, eaten with boiled rice off tin plates with steel forks and iron spoons. We were, however, very hungry, and by no means inclined to be nice about our food; and really it was not so bad after all. Preserved salmon, and rice should be carried by every traveller--

HAERENGA KI TARANAKI,

raihi hei kinaki mo te kapana hua hou, me era atu kai ki te ara; engari te kinaki ki te raihi, kei pangia e te mate ua kai tonu i te mea Maori; waihoki ekore tera kai e mahia i te uanga o te ua. I whakawarea matou ki Motutere, a, pa noa ki te te kau ma rua o nga haora. I tukua nga utanga o tetahi o nga waka o Hiruharama kiuta, i whakatakariri hoki nga tangata, mo nga waiata Maori i tonoa e Pirikawau kia whakahua; kihai ia i mahara ki te nohoanga iho o to ratou Mihinere hou. Ko te waka i mahue, ko nga tangata i mauta ake me nga pikaunga, no reira i roa ai matou, kihai hoki i kaha te haere i te taimaha; ko matou ia, hohoro tonu te tae, he waka hoki. Te kau ma rima maero o taua tahataha i haerea mai e aua tangata. He mutunga to nga mea katoa o tenei ao, he hakari Maori ra nei--he mutunga ano tona. I te muri-awatea, ka eke matou Pakeha ki te waka pai, i hoea mai i Pukawa. Ko Wikitoria te ingoa e tenei waka, he manatunga ia no Te Heuheu. He taitamariki nei te kai hoe o te waka, no Pukawa taua hunga, tara tonu te patunga atu ki tawahi; engari tenei hoenga i te anganga mai ki Motutere, i ngoki mai i reira, kahore i ngawari te hoe. He takiwa roa i Motutere ki Pukawa, roa noa ka u ki te one i raro iho o te pa. No te toru o

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the first is portable, requires no cooking, and at times forms a very agreeable variety in the bill of fare. Rice is also very portable, is not spoilt by being wet, and is sometimes absolutely necessary as a corrective to the effects of new potatoes and other things which travellers eat in the bush, and which often occasion illness on the road. We were delayed at Motutere until twelve, in consequence of one of the Jerusalem canoes having discharged her freight on the shore of the lake, the crew being disgusted at the heathenish songs to which Mr. Pirikawau insisted on treating them, under the very nose of their new Missionary; our people had, therefore, to walk round the margin of the lake for a distance of about fifteen miles, carrying heavy loads on their backs, so of course they did not arrive until more than an hour after us, who had come in canoes. Every thing in this world has a termination--even a Maori feast; so we escaped from Motutere at a little after noon, the European party in a fine canoe, which had just arrived from Pukawa. This canoe is called Victoria, and is Te Heu Heu's favourite bark. She was manned by strong active young lads from Pukawa; and being a fast canoe we got over the latter portion of our journey much quicker than we had traversed the first part. As, however, the distance from Motutere to Pukawa is greater than that from Jerusalem to Motutere, we were, notwithstanding the improvement in our progress, nearly as long in the

HAERENGA Ki TARANAKI.

nga haora, wahi ki te wha, ka kuku te ihu o te waka. I te patunga mai i nga wai o te roto ka kitea nuitia a Tongariro, a Ruapahu, a Pihanga. Heoi ano to matou kitenga paitanga koia tera; i araia tonutia hoki nga keokeonga e te "kapua hokaia runga" i muri iho. Nui tonu te putanga ake o te mamaha i Tongariro; i mea nga tangata he tohu kino tera. Kei te tumu a Pukawa, i te taha auru-ma-tonga o te roto. He koru kei te taha raro o te pa; he pungapunga, ma tonu, te uranga waka --he wa pungapunga kau nga tahataha katoa o te roto--heoi nei te uranga waka. I te taha maui o te pa he kohatu nga pari; kei te pito rawa o te raenga te wahi tapu e tupuria ana taua tanumanga e te kowhai, e te karaka, me era atu rakau, puta tonu ki tatahi.

Ko te Heuheu te tangata tuatahi i peke kiuta, oma ana ki te rae, whatia ana he rau-rekau i te taha o te wai, noho mai ana i reira i raro i te manga kowhai, karakia ai, aha ai ra nei. He karakia pea nona, mo tona hokinga paitanga ki te kainga. Ka mutu tera, ka hokia mai ki te arahi i a matou, ki te pa, ko te ara atu kei roto i etahi mara pai i te koru ra. I te tomokanga ki roto, ka puta ki te marae i waenga pa. Kei te pito ki runga te whare puni o Te Heuheu; kahore kau he

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canoe the second time as we had been at the first, so that it was half past three when we landed on the beach below the pa. We obtained a good view of the mountain of Tongariro, Ruapahu and Pihanga from the lake this afternoon. This, by the way, was the only clear view we had an opportunity of getting, as the top of both mountains was clouded at all other times. The crater of Tongariro was emitting unusually dense masses of steam, which the natives said was a very bad omen. Pukawa is situated on a promontory on the south-west shore of the lake; on the right or north of the pa as you approach it by water, is a small bay with white pumice-stone beach --(the whole coast of the lake is beached with pumice)--this is the only landing place. On the left of the pa the shore is bold and rocky; at the extremity of the promontory is the burial ground or wahi-tapu, grown over with karaka, kohai, and other evergreen trees and shrubs which reach down to the lake. Old Te Heu Heu was the first person to land from the canoe, he immediately ran to the point, broke off two small branches from a tree growing on the sacred ground, and then squatting down at the edge of the water, under the branches of an overhanging kohai, repeated some prayers, evidently a karakia of thanksgiving for his safe return to his home. This done he came back and conducted us to the pa, through some very neatly kept cultivations in the little bay. On entering by the strongly fortified gate, we found ourselves inside a large square enclosure in the cen-

HAERENGA KI TARANAKI.

whakapakoko, he whakairo ra nei. I whakaaroa he whare pai rawa tona, he rangatira nui hoki ia, kei te kitenga, miharo ana ki te ahua he mai. E tu ana tana whare ona ki te taha o te taiepa o te pa, i runga ake o nga pari whakawhirinaki atu ki nga wai o te roto. I nga taha o te marae, e takoto ana tetahi wahi watea; ko te takiwa ia ki te wahi tapu, i waenga pa, ko te nohoanga ia mo Te Heuheu ratou ko ona whanaunga katoa. I tai atu o tenei, he wahi watea, i ko atu he pahiko, i roto i taua pahiko he whata, kei taua atamira Te Heuheu nui raua ko te whaerere, i mate nei rao, i te horonga o Te Rapa. Kei tera taha o te marae te nohoanga o te nui o te iwi. Ko nga pononga ia o Te Heuheu ma, e noho ana ki etahi whare kinokino nei i te taha o nga kauta. I te taenga atu ki te pa, kua noho mai nga rangatira ki te taha o te whare o Te Heuheu, he mea whariki taua wahi ki te rahurahu. Ko te tuahine o Te Heuheu, he kuia nei, e noho ke ana ki tetahi taha, kahore he tangata i tata ki tona nohoanga; e tapu ana ia, mana hoki e tango a Te Heuheu nui raua

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tre of the pa. At the upper end is the house of Te Heu Heu, a moderately sized building, but without any carving or other ornaments, by no means so good a lodging as might be expected for a chief of so much importance. This house is situated close to the back fence of the pa, which runs along the top of the rocky precipice overhanging the lake. On either bide of the large yard or "marae" is another of equal size, that between the centre and the wahi-tapu being tenanted by the chiefs and members, male and female, of the Heu Heu's family; beyond this, is a smaller yard containing one house, and within a small fence a pataka or stage on which are deposited the mortal remains of the late chief and his wife, who were killed at the downfall of Te Rapa. On the other side of the centre yard are the habitations of the inferior people of the tribe, with the exception of such of the slaves as are attached to the households of the chiefs, these live in small wretched huts adjoining the respective cooking houses at the opposite end of the enclosures in which their lords and ladies resided. On entering the pa we found all the chiefs and principal men seated on the ground (which had been previously covered with fresh cut fern for the purpose) in front of Te Heu Heu's house, and beside it, quite apart from any one else, sat an old woman of about fifty, a sister of Te Heu Heu, who was under a strict tapu, being the only person permitted to touch the bodies of the dead chief and his wife; this poor old creature was

HAERENGA KI TARANAKI.

ko te whaerere. Te tatata tenei wahine ki te nohoanga o te tokomaha; kihai ana ringa i pa ki te kai, he mea whangai e tetahi pononga, ua inu, he mea riringi te wai ki te mangai. He wahine pai ia, he wahine roa, he uru tete. I te kitenga ai e matou he mea pahana ki te kokowai tango mai te hinu mango hei kaukau mona, kapi katoa te tangata, poke iho hoki te koheka. No to maua nohoanga ki raro, ka tukua te kara tawhito, ka whakatarea te kara a te Kawana, ko to Te Heuheu mea pai tera. Timata ana i konei te tangi, roa noa, ka mutu tera. Ka rere i konei nga tangata o te pa, ka puta nga kupu mo te Kawana, mo Te Heuheu. Ka mutu era ka whakatika a Iwikau ki te whakahoki kupu, ka maranga a Pairikawau, ki te whakakoki kupu mo te Kawana. Muri mai ka whakahaerea te korero mo ia tangata, mo ia tangata i roto i a matou, tae noa ki te kai tahu kai; ka mutu era, ka puta nga kupu karanga ki nga hapu Maori o nga tangata i haere tahi nei i a matou. Ka mutu te korero ka tukua ki te kai, ka whakaarahia nga whare ki te noho-

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obliged to keep quite apart from all her species, not being allowed to touch any article of food, even to feed herself, that office being performed by a slave who put the food into her mouth, and when she was thirsty poured the water from a calabash down her throat, her lips not being permitted to touch the vessel. She is a fine tall woman, rather thin and with grizzly hair, but was bedaubed all over at the time we saw her with a disgusting paint of red ochre and shark oil. As soon as we had all found seats, and the old flag had been hauled down and replaced by that of the Governor, to the great pride and delight of the old chief, --then began the usual dismal ceremony of the tangi, which was kept up with a will for half an hour. This ended, the speeches of welcome began, each speech being addressed to some particular person or party, beginning with Te Heu Heu, their liege lord and master, who in due course returned thanks in the usual form; then the Governor, for whom. Pirikawau returned thanks; they then went through the whole of the European party, not forgetting the cook, and afterwards each different Maori tribe which had a representative or representatives in our train, had its share of welcome. This over, we proceeded to dinner, which had been prepared in the meantime, our tents were now pitched on the place allotted for strangers, opposite to the residence of the chief. We then took a stroll round the pa, and returned just in time to see

HAERENGA KI TARANAKE.

anga mo te manuwhiri i pahaki atu o te whare o te rangatira o te pa. Haerere ana matou i konei ki te matakitaki i nga noninga me era atu mea o te pa; hoki rawa mai kua tu te hakari ma matou Pakeha, ma nga tangata Maori hoki. Oti te whakapuranga ma tenei, ma tenei, nga pohewa poaka, nga paro kumara, nga kapana, me nga taro; haere mai nga kinaki, he ngohi paka, he kukupa, he kaka, he tui, he mea mea ki te taha, tukua ai ki te hinu. Ko nga kai i karangatia ma maua, --he mea noa ano era, i matauria e nga tangata ekore matou e kai. No te tukunga ki a matou ka whakawhetai, a, ka whakahokia ki nga tangata; ka tukua te kai a te niho tahurihuri kau ana matou i muri tata iho, ngaro whakarere nga kai, puranga kau ana nga paro, me nga tahe. Ka mutu tera, ka noho nga puni ki te kai roi, tango mai te kara, tango mai te paui, kakama noa nga pononga ki te tunu, mei hohoro ra nei i te tara o tenei ki te kai, Oti rawa ake tenei kua pouri, haere ana matou ki te takoto i muri iho o te karakia; torutoru nga tangata o te pa i whakauru mai ki taua karakiatanga.

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a sumptuous feast served out to our followers which was divided out for each European visitor and for each tribe amongst our followers, in proportion to the number of representatives of each. Of course the dividing out of kits of pork, kumeras, potatoes and taros, calabashes of pigeons, kakas and tuis preserved in oil, and piles of dried fish, for the pakehas, was merely a French compliment, which we graciously acknowledged and then handed over the dainties to our not unwilling Maori friends, who at a given signal fell to (notwithstanding the damper they had previously had in the shape of a slight lunch at Motutere) with such good will, that in half an hour not a vestige, save the empty kits and calabashes, was left of the enormous provision. They then proceeded to dessert, which consisted of fern root roasted and beaten, and was taken after this fashion: a number of female slaves were seated near the fires in which the root was roasting, each of whom had a large smooth stone on the ground before her and a wooden mallet in her hand. The guests sat in a semi-circle in front of the slaves, and as fast as the latter could beat the root and throw it to the former, so fast did they demolish it, apparently with great gout. By the time this was over it was dark, and we retired for the night after prayers, which were attended by a very small minority of the people in the pa.

Friday, January 4th, 1850. --Whilst we were waiting for breakfast, our attention was attracted by a most abominable howling, in the

HAERENGA KI TARANAKI.

Parirei, Hanuere 4, 1850. --I a maua e tatari ana ki te maoatanga o te kai ata, ti ana nga taringa i te wheoro mai o te reo tangata e tangi ana. Ponu pu atu e aue ana te wha te kau nei i te taha o te urupa kua korerotia atu ra. Ko te atamira i takoto ai nga iwi o Te Heuheu nui, rao ko te whaerere, --i whakaturia ki nga pou ewha, te tiketike, kei te peke; te roa o te waka o runga, kotahi whanganga, he paraikete i te tuanui kia maru ai i te ua, pahana rawa ki te kokowai te waka me te paraikete katoa. He tatau ano to taua waka, ko te tukunga o tera ki raro kitea ai a roto o te waka. E takoto mai ana nga iwi i reira, he mea hipoki ki te kaitaka. Erua nga tau i takoto ai nga tupapaku ra, katahi ano ka puere te waka. I tangihia e taua hunga, e kawea ana ki Tongariro huna ai. Ko te ngoingoi i meinga atu ra e tapu ana, --i roto tera i te urupa, ko ia anake, ko nga hoa ki waho noho ai, tu ai. I tangi kotikoti taua ruruhi, e heke ana to toto i nga paparinga, i nga ringa, me he wai e rere ana. Ko nga rangatira o te pa, me nga whanaunga o Te Heuheu nui i uru ki te tangi; ko Iwikau anake i noho atu, heaha ra

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direction of the point, and on proceeding through, the next enclosure we found that the noise emanated from the smaller yard beyond, in which were collected some thirty or forty people, in front of the fence containing the pataka before-mentioned, and which I must here endeavour to describe: --Raised on four legs, about two and a half feet from the ground, was a sort of box, about seven feet long by three-and-a-half wide, covered with a blanket stretched in the shape of the roof of a house, so as to throw off the rain, and the whole painted with, red ochre mixed with oil, blanket and all. The front, or side facing the pa, was fitted with hinges at the bottom and a fastening at the top, which, when unfastened, allowed the board to fall down like a flap, exposing the interior of the box. In it were the bodies of the late Te Heu Heu and his wife, carefully wrapped in a handsome Kaitaka mat, having been in this position for nearly two years and a half, but the pataka never having been opened until now, when it was done for the express purpose of having a tangi preparatory to their removal to their final resting-place at the top of Tongariro, The old tapued woman, mentioned yesterday, was scaled inside the fence (being the only one allowed to enter those sacred bounds), and had just opened the pataka, but was now engaged in leading the chorus, and cutting her body, face, arms, neck, and legs in a most frightful manner with a piece of obsidian., which caused the blood to flow copiously from each gash. The choir outside consisted of

HAERENGA KI TARANAKI.

nei tana i noho atu ai. Etoru nga rarangi o aua tangata, he wahine nga mea o te tuatahi, i tu ratou ki runga; ko nga rarangi o waho atu i noho ki raro, ano te nui o te tangi, turituri ana. I muri iho o te kai, ka haerere ki te rapu i tetahi turanga mo nga whare pakete. Ko te tamariki, ko te kuri, ko te turituri, ko te piro me era atu mea i roto i te pa tangata Maori, e kinongia ana e te Pakeha; ko nga mea ia e noho ai i waho o te pa. Kihai i roa e haere ana ka kitea he wahi pai hei nohoanga runga atu o te ngutu o te roto. I araia putia te taha tua o taua wahi e te rakau; mamara tonu taua nohoanga a matou. He horo tera wahi no mua, i wahowaho atu o te pa, te tae ake nga tangata o te pa, ki te whakaoho i a matou, i te mea e kai ana, e kakahu ana ka tae ake, ko te mea ia, kua taunga maua ki tera mahi. Ka oti tenei mahi, ka haere matou kia kite i Te Rapa, te pa tawhito o Te Heuheu. I eke ki nga waka, no te hoenga, ka kitea ata tetahi rere, ko Waihi; kotahi rau putu te tiketike o tenei rere, e araia ana tetahi wahi o te wai, i te hekenga ai, e te rakau tupu ki nga tahataha,

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the principal chiefs and relations of the deceased (with the exception of his brother and successor to the chieftainship, who forbore to join the tangi for some reason which I did not hear), who were disposed in three rows, in a semicircular form, the inner row consisting chiefly of women all standing, leaning forwards, nearly bent double, and the two outer rows squatted on the ground in the usual manner, the whole set howling as loudly as possible, in most dismal and unmusical chorus. After breakfast we strolled out to choose a spot on which to pitch our tents. The visitations of native children and dogs, the nocturnal noises, the unpleasant odours, and other concomitant grievances too numerous to mention, to which one is subjected by sleeping inside a large pa, having rendered a move indispensable to our comfort. We soon found a beautiful spot, close to the margin of the lake from which it was removed by a steep bank of about thirty feet in height, with high land behind, and completely surrounded by trees, except on the side nearest the lake, of which it commanded a very pretty view; it was, in fact, a small piece of table land, formed by an old landslip, and was a very convenient position for us, being but two or three hundred yards from the pa, possessing the advantage of sufficient proximity, and out of the reach of all the disagreeables, save the usual number of visitors at meal and toilette hours, to which, however, we had by this time become pretty well accustomed. This duty being accomplished, we started in canoes to

HAERENGA KI TARANAKI.

Kei te taha o te roto a Te Rapa, te mamao atu i Pukawa etoru pea maero, I te horonga i te whanariki i te tau 1846, taka noa ki tenei wa, i te tapu tonu tera wahi. No te taenga atu o nga kai arahi i a matou ka unuunuhia nga koheka, ka haere tahanga, ekore hoki e ahei te haere kakahu ki taua wahi. I tohutohungia ki a matou te whare o Te Heuheu nui; e takoto ana te keringa, no te tangohanga mai o taua kaumatua i tana whare i ngaro ra i te ngawha. Kahore o reira mea nui e haere atu ai te tangata ki te matakitaki. He paru kau nga mea e kitea atu ana; i maunu mai te kahiwi o te taha runga o taua pa i te waiwhanariki, a, taupoki katoa ki te pa, ngaro iho nga tangata.

I te maunutanga mai o taua kaweka, riro katoa iho nga rakau, nga kohatu, me era atu mea. Etoru te kau o nga tangata i mate; ko nga mea i puta, ko te iramutu o Te Heuheu, he taitamariki nei, ko te hoiho. I haere i a matou taua tangata i ora mai, nana i korero mai te raruraru, me te wehi i puta ki te pa i te horonga ai. He waiariki kau te takiwa atu i

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visit the ruined pa of Te Rapa, passing by a very pretty waterfall, on the way, called Waihi; this fall is about one hundred feet in height and the precipice down which the water falls is thickly clothed with numerous evergreen shrubs, which in one place quite hide the waters of the fall, when it reappears below, presenting, on the whole, a very pleasing and picturesque effect. Te Rapa is situated on the margin of the lake, about three miles distant from Pukawa, in a southerly direction, and has, ever since its fall, in May, 1846, been held very sacred by the natives, so much so, that the guides who accompanied our party, on reaching the boundary of the tapu, stripped themselves completely naked before they would venture to pass the mystic line. They then showed us where the chief's house had stood, a part of which, indeed, was laid bare by the excavation for his remains, and various other places worthy of notice; but the ruins, on the whole, present nothing greatly to interest a visitor. All that is to be seen at present being a mass of dry yellow mud which had come down from the bank of a gully about a mile-and-a-half behind and above the pa, having been loosened gradually by a number of small boiling springs, which had slowly detached the immense mass from the side of the ravine, till at length its own weight had brought it down, with the force of an avalanche, carrying trees, rocks, and everything before it, till it overwhelmed the pa swallowing up the poor old chief, with about sixty of his people. The only living things that es-

HAERENGA KI TARANAKI.

Waihi ki Te Rapa, i te taha o te roto, kei reira etahi kaukauranga a te tangata Maori; he mea arai aua wai ki te kamaka, ki te poro rakau, kurupae rawa. He tini noa iho nga patera o taua wahi; ko reira kaukau ai, ko te taha o te roto. Rarata tonu aua parera, ekore e puhia, e tapu ana hoki. I whakaae nga tangata kia puhia noatia aua manu e matou. I tai atu o te rere, e tu ana he whare, no etahi o nga tangata o Pukawa, kei reira hoki a ratou ngakinga. Ka mutu te matakitaki, ka oti hoki te whakaahua te rere ra e te kai tuhi--hoki ana ki te kainga kai ai. Ka haere ka titaha te ra, ka puta nga rongo o Tuhaha kia hapainga he taua, hei whakahoki i te hunga huna i nga iwi o Te Heuheu nui. Oho ana nga tangata, pa ana ki te korerorero; ko te mea ia i meinga ai kia haere maua ki te kainga o Te Herekiekie i te aonga ake o te ra. He haere ta matou kia rongo i nga kupu o Tuhaha, he he tera no matou ua pikia a Tongariro, me he pono te taua o tana rangatira. He kuaretanga hoki no maua te haere i roto i tenei, ki te tika te huakitanga o tera ki

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caped having been a horse and a nephew of Te Heu Heu--a youth of about seventeen, who accompanied our party as guide, and who gave us a very graphic description of the terror and confusion in the pa at the time of the accident. The shore of the lake, between Te Rapa and the fall of Waihi, a distance of about three-quarters of a mile, abounds in warm springs, which issue from the earth just at the brink of the lake, and where the natives have formed several baths, by enclosing a small space around the hot spring with large stones or logs of wood. Here are to be found, at all times immense numbers of wild ducks, of three or four different kinds, which delight in paddling about in the warm water along the beach. They are of course very tame, as, on account of the proximity to the fallen pa, they are held strictly tapu, at least from the natives, though we obtained full permission to shoot as many as we liked. Close to the waterfall, on a very pretty spot beyond the limits of the tapu, are two or three small huts inhabited by some of the Pukawa natives, who have a few patches of cultivation. Having satisfied our curiosity, and the waterfall having been sketched by our indefatigable artist, we returned to camp to dinner. The reports of the intended opposition of Tuhaha (Te Herekiekie) to the design of our friends to deposit the remains of their late chief in the crater of Tongariro having been renewed, and the subject much talked of this afternoon, it was determined to visit his settlement to-morrow,

HAERENGA KI TARANAKI.

a Tuhaha; kua mea a Te Heuheu ma kia puta to ratou wahi, a, heaha te mamate ai, ko nga iwi o nga tupapaku kia tae ki Tongariro.

Hatirei, Hanuere 5. --No te tekau o nga haora ka haere ki Tokanu, te kainga o Te Herekiekie. Ko Te Heuheu me nga rangatira o te pa, me nga wahine rangatira a taua iwi i haere i a matou. Te mamao o Tokanu i Pukawa erima maero. Te haerenga atu i Te Rapa erua maero; e takoto ana te mania i taua takiwa, ko te awa o Tokanu e rere ana i waenga mania. Kei tera taha o te roto tenei awa, e mea ana nga tangata Maori, ko te kuinga ia o Waikato. Ko te kainga o Tokanu kei te ngutu o taua awa, he nui noa atu nga ngakinga ki taua wahi, kotahi mano, he mano marima ra nei nga eka o tera raorao Ewha pea rau o nga eka i ngakia, kahu rawa nga mea o taua wahi, nga witi, he witi ke etahi, haere mai te kapana, te kumara, te taro, te paukena, te merengi, te kanga, me era atu mea. Kite rawa ake au i te whare Maori, ki tenei wahi. Te roa o taua whare ewaru, haranga; te whanui eono whanganga, hara-

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in order to ascertain, if possible, whether he meant to use force, or, in fact, what he really meant to do, as it would have been manifestly improper, not to say culpably foolish, for our party either to have attempted to use force for the accomplishment of our design of ascending the mountain, or to have accompanied a party of natives who were determined to carry out their intention vi et armis, and had resolved, as it appeared they had, to fight to the last in defence of what they looked upon as their right.

Saturday, January 5th. --We set out this morning at about ten o'clock for Tokanu, the settlement of Te Herekiekie, accompanied by Te Heu Heu and several of the Chiefs and ladies belonging to the higher ranks of the aristocracy of Pukawa. Tokanu is situated about five miles from Pukawa and two from Te Rapa, on a large alluvial flat formed by the deposits from the neighbouring hills; through this flat runs the small river or rather creek called Tokanu, and which, being at the opposite extremity of the lake from the embouchure of the Waikato at Jerusalem, the natives call the true source of that river. On the banks of this creek is situated the village of Tokanu, surrounded by many acres of beautifully kept cultivations, extending for some considerable distance over the perfectly level surface of the immense flat, which in all probability contains from one thousand to fifteen hundred Acres, of which at least three or four hundred are under crop, producing samples of wheat of different kinds of most astonishing

HAERENGA KI TARANAKI.

nga; te tiketike o nga patu, kotahi whanganga te teitei o te tuanui etoru, me te poro. He mea nati ki te raupo, ko roto he mea kakaho, ko te matapihi me te tatau i tetahi pito, e araia ana taua pito e te whakamahau. He mea tarai nga papa whakatutu, me nga heke whakairo rawa aua papa, me nga pou o te tatau, me nga rakau katoa o te matapihi, pani rawa ki te kokowai, pakura tonu. I te hinganga ai o tenei whare i nga tau erua ka pahure, whakatapua ana taua whare; ka tangohia te tapu o ia whare i te marutanga o nga kai whakaako tokorua i haere ki taua pa korero ai. No Ngatiawa aua tangata, i haere mai i Whanganui, ki te kauwhau ki taua kainga. No te maharatanga o Pirikawau ki te kohurutanga o nga tangata o tona iwi e taua hunga, ka matapouri ia, ka hopuhopu te ngakau, Tae kau atu matou ki Tokanu, ka pa nga tangata ki te tangi, ka tahi ano hoki ka kitekite taua iwi i muri iho o te mareretanga o tetahi o nga rangatira o Tokanu. Roa noa e tangi ana ka

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growth, besides potatoes, kumera, taro, pumpkins maize, melons &c, &c, in great abundance. Here we saw the finest specimen I have yet seen of native architecture, being an immense house of about fifty feet long by twenty five feet broad, with walls about six feet high, the roof tree not less than twenty feet from the ground--of course it is constructed in the usual manner, viz. --of raupo reeded inside, the only openings--a door, window, or small aperture, protected by a sliding panel--being at one end, under a verandah formed by the projection of the roof and side walls to a distance of about ten or twelve feet beyond the gable wall. It was very highly ornamented in the usual manner, the facing boards of the projecting roof, the lintel and door posts, the uprights of the verandah and the casement of the window, being all composed of slabs of beautifully carved wood, some pieces being of very ancient date, painted with ochre of a gaudy red. When this house was first built, about two years ago, it was according to custom under a strict tapu, to remove which, the gentle inhabitants of this highly civilized region, piously slew two native teachers belonging to the Ngatiawa tribe who had been sent from Whanganui to preach the Gospel in their heathen ears. The untimely recollection of this outrage, so recently perpetrated on two members of his own tribe, made poor Pirikawau feel somewhat uncomfortable, and I am afraid rather detracted from the pleasure of his visit. The first ceremony which took place on our arrival at Tokanu was a long tangi in front of

HAERENGA KI TARANAKI.

mutu, muri iho ka hongi. Ka whakakitekitea matou ki nga tangata o te kainga i muri iho o te hongi. Owha ana matou ki nga wahine; i te whakamahau ratou e tu ana--ko te pouaru o te rangatira kua hemo ra, tetahi, ko te wahine a Puhaha, e kotiro ana ano ia, kahore ona koka, "Whakaputa" ana ia "te kahu o Mereana." I tu a poururu taua wahine i to matou putanga atu, me te mea e riri ana. Ko te tuahine o Te Herekiekie i roto i taua puni, he kotiro tera, heoi te roa, tua whakatau te titiro mai o tera, he koroko nei te kakahu o waho i a ia, pakurakura kau ana. I Whanganui a Te Herekiekie, i haere ki te tiki tangata mo tana ope ki a Te Heuheu; ko tona teina ia, i te kainga, koroke ana taua tangata ki a matou, i pera katoa hoki te ahua o nga hunga o taua kainga. I mea katoa ratou, kahore he aha ki nga Pakeha e mea ana kia pikia a Tongariro; engari, ko nga tangata Maori, ekore rawa e whakaae ki to ratou haerenga i roto i a maua. Tohe noa maua kia tukua nga tangata, kihai ano tera i whakaae. "Whaiwhai tonu te korerorero" i muri iho o te tangihanga; ko matou Pakeha

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the above mentioned house for the recent death of an old chief, this being the first visit of the Pukawa people (to whom he was related) to his settlement since his death, and consequently the first opportunity they had had of testifying their sorrow for their bereavement. The tangi (which lasted nearly an hour) being concluded and a hongi, or rubbing of noses, which occupied nearly half an hour longer, having been gone through, we were introduced in due form, first to the ladies, who were assembled under the verandah of the house--and of whom the most remarkable were the widow of the deceased chief who was of course a person of much consequence--then there was Tuhaha's wife, a good humoured looking young woman of probably five and twenty, very respectably dressed in European clothing; she received us certainly civilly enough, but there was a considerable degree of constraint and cold reserve in her manner, which gave one not a very favourable impression of her. There was also a sister of Te Herekiekie's, a tall finely formed young woman, dressed in a gay scarlet cloak, with a commanding but sinister expression of countenance. Te Herekiekie himself was absent having gone to Whanganui to collect a taua for the purpose of making good his threat against Te Heu Heu, but we saw his brother an impudent looking young man and who behaved--as indeed did all the people here--in rather a cavalier manner towards us. They all agreed in saying that they had no objection to the pakeha party ascending the mountain, but were determined

HAERENGA KI TARANAKI.

i haerere ki te matakitaki Whakapai tonu maua ki nga ngakinga o tera wahi, heoi ra ano nga mara papai i kitea i te haerenga mai i Akarana, a--tae noa ki Taupo. Ka mutu te titiro i taua wahi, hoki ana ki te nohoanga; ko Iwikau ratou ko nga hoa i mahue atu, i whakarerea atu ano hoki a Pirikawau hei whakarongo i te tukunga iho o nga korero, hei kawe ake nga rongo ki a maua.

Te Ratapu, Hanuere te 6, 1850. --Paki tonu te rangi, ko te werawera ia, nui atu. I te mutunga o te kai, ka tukua he karere ki a Pirikawau ratou ko nga hoa i whakarerea atu ra ki Tokanu, i nanahi. I mea ia, kahore kau he awangawanga o te whakaaro o nga tangata o Tokanu, mau tonu to ratou puku whakatakariri. Waiho atu, kua wahia te kaho hei kariri, tango mai te mata. Kahore he aha o tenei ki a Iwikau, he pai ki a ia te huaki o tera. Whakaaro ana maua Pakeha, i konei, kia kaua te tihi o Tongariro e tikina, e tirohia, kei Whakaeke mai tera ki o maua hoa haerere. Na te kino nei, i rapu ai tetahi atu ara tika atu whaka-Taranaki. I matapouri maua ki

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the maories should not, and that if we went with them we must take the consequences-- and they obstinately persisted in this determination although we tried of course without inquiry or making a favour of the matter to argue them out of it. A great deal of speechifying bad been going on since the conclusion of the ceremonies of the tangi and hongi, whilst we amused ourselves by walking through the village and cultivations, with the appearance of the latter we expressed ourselves much pleased, and they really were the best we had seen since leaving Auckland. Having seen what was to be seen, we returned to our camps to dinner, leaving Te Heu Heu and his principal chiefs still talking, as also our friend Pirikawau who was to watch the proceedings and on his return bring us a report of what should take place.

I must not omit to mention that Tuhaha's wife hearing that we were in want of flour and having a handmill and plenty of wheat at hand, very kindly sent us a supply of very good, though somewhat course flour, which was indeed a most acceptable addition to our fast decreasing stock of provisions; we repaid her kindness by sending in return a quantity of tobacco of which they were much in want and a few other trifles which might be useful to her.

Sunday, January 6th, 1850. ---The weather continues beautifully fine but very hot; after breakfast we sent for Pirikawau, who with the other natives left behind yesterday at Tokanu, had returned late in the evening. He reported

HAERENGA KI TARANAKI.

taua he, no ko mai ra ano te hiahia kia kite i te keokeonga o Tongariro. Ko te tikanga pai tenei, ko te haere ma tetahi atu ara; mei tohe pea kia eke ki te maunga ra, ka tupu te he; a, kati ko te mea, ekore e meinga e te tokomaha na te Kawana te take o taua kino. Whiriwhiri ana te ngakau i konei, kia tika atu ma Whanganui ki Mokau, kia hoki ra nei ki raro, kia haere a---Waipa, marere atu ki Kakepuka, kia whakawhiti atu ki Kawhia, ka ma te tahataha akau, a--Taranaki. Korerorero ana matou, a, ka meinga, kia ra Mokau, no te mea, e tauhou ana te Pakeha ki tera whenua, kiano i ata haerea; kei reira hoki etahi ana, e takoto ana i aua ana nga wheua
"0 te manu pai nei e te Moa,"
Riterite ana ta maua korero kia whitiki, kia whanake i te aonga ake o te ra; ma te karere kawe mai i nga rongo o te matenga o Te Rauparaha, e arahi. Ko Te Heuheu ma i noho ki te kainga, i mea ia taua rangatira, ko o maua tangata i pai ai hei waha i nga rawa, mana e tono. Na nga pononga o Te Heuheu i pikau mai etahi o nga rawa o maua, i te roa o te ara, koia i whakaae ai matou ki etahi tangata i

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that the Tokanu natives seemed not to have the smallest intention of changing their minds, but that on the contrary they were making the most determined preparations for action, and had already broken open a cask of powder, which they intended that night to convert into ball-cartridge. The other party were also equally obstinate, so after some consideration it was decided that the best course for us to pursue, would be to abandon for the present the idea of ascending the mountain, and proceed to Taranaki by some other route. This was of course a very great disappointment to us all, as the ascending Tongariro had been with the whole of us, the main object of the journey. It was however plain that no other course was open to us, as, had we persisted in our first intention we should inevitably have found ourselves in the midst of a native war, and the Governor in all probability be considered by many persons as the chief cause of the quarrel. The only point then, which remained to be determined was, by which route we should proceed, whether down the Whanganui river by way of Mokau; or, returning northward, make for the Waipa at Kakepuka, cross to Kawhia on the west coast, and thence follow the coast line down to Taranaki. After some discussion the Mokau route was decided upon as being the shortest and the most interesting, as the Mokau river passes through a country little travelled, and very imperfectly known by Europeans, and containing numerous limestone caves in which have been found bones of the Moa. It was there-

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konei, kahore hoki he kai waha mo nga pikaunga i a ratou. Kihai ano i ata tika kia tukua mai e Te Heuheu ona tangata, no te mea, kua karangarangatia te riri. Ko Rahu tetahi o te hunga i tonoa hei arahi i a matou; he maia taua koroke, matau tonu ki nga ara, a, riro ana i a ia te kawenga taimaha, i mama to nga hoa. I uru tenei tangata ki te whainga i a Heke ra, i nga kekeritanga i Ohaeawai, i te horonga hoki o Te Ruapekapeka. Rawe tonu nga kupu, i nga tukunga o te turi ki raro, i te ara, komene tonu nga ngutu ki te korero i ana
"Oranganoatanga i te horonga pa."
me nga korero ki te mahi

I arohaina taua tangata mo ana matenga, a, me noho ia ki te kainga, kua pouri nga tangata katoa o to matou tira.

Manei, Hanuere te 7. --No te rima ka oho matou i te moe, no te ono, ka mutu te mihi ki nga hoa aroha o te kainga, ka tu, ka koke i te ara. No te ekenga ki tetahi maunga, whakatikatonu te taha, ka whakamau te titiro ki te roto e takoto ake ra. Ka haere i runga, kehea te pai? Me aua noa atu, eiwa pea maero. Ka pa ki te iwa o nga haora ka tae atu ki Poaue, i te paenga o te ngaherehere-tuauriuri,

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fore determined that we should start for Taranaki by that route early the next morning, under the guidance of a native who arrived thence yesterday bringing the news of the death of Te Rauparaha. Te Heu Heu and his party of course remained behind, --but the old man very kindly promised to give us as many natives as we required for bearers, although just at that time he could ill spare any. It was necessary, however, for us to have some, as a large portion of our baggage had been carried thus far by his slaves, but we contented ourselves with two, one of whom named Rahu, was the best traveller, and carried the heaviest load of any in our party; he had been in all the engagements in the north, at Ohaeawhai, Ruapekapeka, and all the minor skirmishes, fighting on the part of the rebels, and being a good humoured chatty fellow had often entertained us with accounts of his
"Hair breath 'scapes i'the imminent deadly breach."
and of

so that we loved him for the many dangers he had run, and his remaining behind would have been looked upon by all the party with great regret.

Monday, January 7th. --Rose at five, and by six had taken an affectionate leave of all our friends, and started again on our travels. After climbing a precipitous hill from which we obtained a fine birds-eye-view of the whole of the lake, we came upon a table land beyond, over which we travelled for a dis-

HAERENGA KI TARANAKI.

ki te taha tonga, ki te auru-ma tonga; he ngakinga kei reira. Noho ana maua i konei ki te kai, korero atu ana ki te kai arahi, ki te ara, ka rangona i konei, e anga ana te haere ki Tuhua, he kainga i te awa o Whanganui, ka tika atu i reira ki Mokau. Ka rongo mao ko te nohoanga tenei o te ope o Te Herekiekie, e takoto mai ana nga matua i taua wahi. Kihai i pai kia haere tonu, i tera ara kei tutataki ki taua hunga; Waihoki, kua puta mai nga rongo kua uru atu a Maheku ratou ko nga tangata. Ko tetahi tera o nga upoko o te taua o Rangihaeata i a ratou i mea nei kia pehia te mana o te Kuini, i Poneke. Muri mai nei ka uru ia ki te puhanga ki Pautahanui, ki Whanganui hoki; nana te kupu i kohurutia ai nga Pakeha a Kerewini ki Whanganui. I te houwhanga rongo o te Kawanatanga ki a Rangihaeata kihai a Maheku i uru, te na ra nei, tona puku riri. I te nohoanga iho ki Poaue, ka whakaaria mai he pukapuka me te ruri, e tetahi tangata, hei hoko; ko nga mea era i kapohia mai e ia i te whainga i Whanganui. Kihai i tahuri maua ki aua mea he nui noa atu

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tance of some eight or nine miles, until we arrived at nine o'clock at a small cultivation, with a few huts, called Poaue, situated at the skirt of a dense wood lying to the S., and S. W. of us, and through a portion of which our road lay. Here we halted for breakfast, and whilst this was in course of preparation we had some conversation with our guide upon the subject of the route we had to travel, when it appeared that we were marching direct upon Tuhua a settlement on the Whanganui river from which point our course diverged towards Mokau. Here it was known that Te Herekiekie's taua had made its head-quarters, and was at that moment in all probability lying. For various reasons it was deemed extremely improper if not dangerous to throw ourselves in, the way of this party, the principal of which was that the chief Maheku with a large number of his followers was known to be with them. This man had throughout the late rebellion been one of the ring-leaders on Rangihaeata's side, had been most active in the affairs at the Hutt, and afterwards at Pautahanui and Whanganui;. and had been the instigator of the murder of the Gilfillans at the latter place. He still continued a staunch and bitter opponent of the Government, having refused the amnesty at the close of the rebellion, to which Rangihaeata and the other ring-leaders were admitted. Whilst we were at Poaue, one of the natives offered us for sale an account book and carpenter's rule which had fallen to his share at Whanganui, but the prices be asked were so preposterous that none of us could purchase

HAERENGA KI TARANAKI.

nga utu i karangatia; mei kitea he ingoa i roto i te pukapuka ka riro pea i a matou kia ahei ai te whakahoki ki te tangata nona. Hoki ana i konei te kai arataki i a maua ki Mokau; ko tana kawenga i tuwhaina ki ehinu o nga kai waha, i whakaaro hoki, ko te taenga ki te kainga tuatahi i te ara ka rapua he tangata. Ka patapata iho te ua i konei, ua pahihi nei, ko te ahua o te rangi, tuku pu. Ka haere atu i konei, a--maero noa me te haranga, ka pa ki tetahi wahi tapu, i te awa o Kuratau. Te whiti i te tapu, ka haere i te tahataha o taua awa; a--Rotoawa, pa rawa ake ki te ara tawhito, kua rima ke nga maero i awhio haere ai, i roto i te wita, i te rahurahu me era atu. otaota. I poka maua ra waenga koraha, te tika i te ara, i tera hua o te kuaretanga, i te tapu, E heke ana te ua; tae rawa atu ki tetahi kainga i te taha o te wao, kua puta nga koheka, noho tonu iho i reira, whakapaia ana nga moenga, rere ana ki roto ki nga hungahunga takoto ai, tuhituhi ai i nga mea, i muri mai o tera tuhinga.

Turei, Hanuere te 8, 1850, --No te ono o

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them, more particularly as the book contained no evidence to shew to whom it belonged, so that it would probably have been impossible to return it to the owner, to whom alone it could have been of any use. Our Mokau guide of course left us here, and his load had to be divided amongst our already overloaded natives, but that did not make a great deal of difference as we calculated on getting additional bearers at the next settlement we should pass upon the road. By this time it began to rain slightly, with every appearance of a decidedly moist afternoon. When we had travelled about a mile and half over a very broken country we were stopped by a tapu on the road, where it crosses a small river called Kuratau, down the banks of which, therefore, we had to walk until we came to a ford, after which we passed by a small swampy lake, or rather pond called Rotoawa, and before we got fairly into our road again, had made a detour of about five miles over a swampy ground where we had to scramble through wet fern, manuka, &c, without any pathway, and all because of this stupid tapu over about one quarter of a mile of our proper road. All this time it was raining as hard as possible so that when we arrived at about one o'clock, p. m., at a small cultivation at the skirt of the wood we called a halt, piched the tents and proceeded to make ourselves as comfortable as circumstances would permit, the first thing done being to get as quickly as possible between the blankets, where we set to work to make up the arrears of our journals.

HAERENGA KI TARANAKI.

nga haora ka haere, ia kahu maku nei ano, ko te ara, i roto i te ururua rahurahu, haere mai te toto o nga otaota, ano e takahi ana i te repo. Nui atu te kino o to matou ara i te ata o tenei ra. Erua nga manga o waenga ara, e wha nga repo; muri atu, ka whiti i tetahi o nga manga o Taupo, ko Whanganui te ingoa o taua awa. Ka wahi te iwa ki te tekau o nga haora, ka okioki ki tetahi kainga mahue kai ai; ka wahi te tekau ki te tekau ma tahi o nga haora, ka whakatika. Piki atu, heke atu, kau atu i te awa, i te repo; haere mai hoki te wai o te huru kahikatoa, o te raurauhe, puta pu nga taretare, me te mea, e kau ana i te wai, o te awa. Houhou tonu to matou haere i te maku mai o nga kakahu, otira, ehara tera i te painga mo te tinana. No te whitinga i Titiroa, ka haere, a, Umurua, he wahi kainga tera, kihai i ngahuru nga whare, e takoto ana te rakurakuhanga o te kaheru, me te ara kiore nei. Ka whai riwai i konei, tokorua hoki nga kaiaka, me te tamaiti i riro i a maua hei waha i nga rawa. E rere ana te awa o Waikino i tawahi o tenei kainga; e tupuria ana

JOURNEY TO TARANAKI.

Tuesday, January 8th. --Started at six in our wet clothes and had to walk through high fern which was so wet that it was like passing through a pond. The walking was very rough this morning, the face of the country being much broken, we crossed two creeks and three or four swamps, afterwards we arrived at a considerable stream which we had some difficulty in fording, called Whanganui, which runs into the northern end of Taupo. Halted at half past nine for breakfast at a small deserted kainga, and started again at half after ten. The walking was still rather rough, our road leading us sometimes up or down steep hills, through patches of wood, with an occasional swamp and a few creeks here and there, not forgetting high fern and tea tree in the vallies, which wet us just as much as either swamps or creeks, so that we were kept all the morning (though it did not rain a drop), in a comfortable state of moisture, very cool for walking, but by no means good for the health. After crossing a stream called Titiroa we arrived at the village of Umurua, consisting of about half a dozen little huts, with a small patch of cultivation. Here we obtained some potatoes and hired two men and a boy as additional luggage carriers. A little beyond Umurua is the river Waikino, the banks of which are wooded, after passing which we found the face of the country completely changed. Here the traveller enters upon a flat country on which lies an immense quantity of pumice stone. This can be hardly called a plain, though it contains no hills of any magnitude, as the surface of it is

HAERENGA KI TARANAKI.

nga tahataha, o tenei wai e te rakau. Ka taka atu i tenei wahi, ahua ke ana te mata o te whenua. He raorao tenei wahi, he takitahi noa atu te pukepuke, e takoto ana te mahi o te pungapunga, nui atu. Ehara tenei i te tino mania, he kaweka ano to taua wahi, he pikinga, he hekenga, kahore kau, he rahurahu, he wita o tenei wahi, he wi koikoi me era atu otaota pera nga taru o ia wahi. He korokio anake te rakau o te wahi nei, ahua pai ana tera otaota; pipi ana te wai o nga manga ua whatiia, me te wai-u nei te rite, kahore ona pai hei tahu hangi, makari ake nei hoki taua akau. Ko nga korari o tenei wahi, ehara; karera tonu te ahua o te pua o te to, kino tonu te muka ina haroa. No te muri-awatea, ka whiti i Waihaka. E araia ana te putanga wai o tenei awa e tetahi toka whakahara, he kopua kei te take o taua toka, e puta ana nga wai i te taha o te kohatu ra, he wahi rere kei raro atu, e tu ana te huru i te taha o te awa. Ka whiti i tenei awa, ka eke te ara ki te puke, i tai mai o te mania; kei reira etahi rangitoto e kauika ana, heoi te nui, me te horonga o tetahi pa kohatu. I te wha o nga haora ka haere i te taha kainga, kihai ia i tata atu, i roto ke hoki. I hiahia maua kia ata tae atu ki Tutakamoana, otira, kihai i ngawari te haere i te mangere o

JOURNEY TO TARANAKI

only much broken by clumps, like islands of basaltic rocks, forming vallies which open from one to the other, with occasionally a large surface of flat land between, so that the road, notwithstanding the broken nature of the country is perfectly level and easy to walk upon; there is no fern, no manuka upon this land, but it is covered with a course kind of grass, like that which in Australia is called spear grass from being pointed at the end of the blades which are very sharp and will run into the flesh like pins; this grass would afford but indifferent feed for cattle or sheep, but the country would be a good one for grazing, if it were sown with English grasses which would thrive there very well and would require little trouble to cultivate, but the soil is not fit for any agricultural purpose. The only shrub growing on these plains, is the koromiko, a small delicate plant, the leaves and young branches of which contain a quantity of milk--it is of little use even as firewood, as it grows to no considerable size. The flax which grows in these plains is of a peculiar kind, the flowers being of a green colour, the fibre is not good. We passed this afternoon over a stream called Waihaka, (dancing water) running at a level far below that of the plain, which is dammed by an immense flat basaltic rock which causes the water to collect in a deep basin, from which it runs on the principle of a mill dam, in a little rapid stream by the side of the dam, forming lower down, a pretty little cascade with woody banks. The road after passing the obstruction in the river, ascends a steep hill to the plain beyond, where is a mag-

HAERENGA KI TARANAKI.

nga tangata. Ka wahi te rima ki te ono, ka tukua ki raro i waenga mania, tae rawa mai te nuinga o to matou tira, kua pahure i te ono. Te kau ma rua, te kau ma rima ra nei maero o "te hikoinga wae" o tenei ra.

JOURNEY TO TARANAKI.

nificent pile of basaltic columns bearing somewhat the appearance of a ruined castle. We passed a settlement to the left, at a distance of about half a mile at four o'clock. Our intention was to have pushed on to Tutakamoana this evening, but the natives were so lazy that we were obliged to give up the idea, so we halted at half past five in the plain, and it was after six before all the party were together. We calculated that we had traversed about twenty-three to twenty-five miles of country during the day.