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| On May 20th an excursion from HMS Domedary, whether the vessel itself or a boat from the sailing vessel, went up the Waitangi river as far as the Haruru falls. A canoe with a chief from Bream Bay was returning from Waitangi filled with "strangers". They had been attending an assembly at Waitangi called by Tareha (Hongi Hika had left for England in March). Marseden was there and recorded "Here we met the largest assembly of natives I have ever seen. Here were some of the heads of tribes with their fighting men from Hokianga on the West coast to Bream Head on the East coast." This was a planning of a raid on the Kaipara refered to revenge the defeat of Ngapuhi at Maremo-nui in 1807 Cruise page 88. S Percy Smith Maori Wars pps 133 - 134. Little is know of the Ngapuhi raid on the Ngatiwhatua under Tareha, but the Ngapuhi probably suffered a reverse. The war party that raided Mercury Bay which returned in early May 1820 also included warriors from the northern areas of the Bay as Major Cruise described the scenes at Te Puna and the distress of the slaves. Warfare went on year after year but we are only concerned with how it affected the Waitangi people and Kaiteke in particular as he played an important part in some campaigns, especially at Rotorua in 1823 and in the great battle agains the Ngatiwhatua in 1825. Kaiteke was with the Ngapuhi forces in the destruction of the pa at Mau-inaina when 1.000 Ngati paoa are said to have been slain and a great number enslaved and the Auckland isthmus depopulated by Hongi Hika and his forces. Te Totara pa was next attacked at Thames but resisted all attempts for its capture. Among the leading chiefs that Hongi Hika sent to seek a false peace was Kaiteke. The chief Pomare disgusted by the treachery of Hongi Hika and the bulk of the Ngapuhi withdrew. Every year at this period one or more major offensives were made by the Ngapuhi and confederates. In 1821 Auckland and Thames were decimated. In 1822 Hongi Hika led a big force against Waikato and Ngatiwhatua who had sought shelter with Waikato tribes. To get canoes into the Waikato river and up the Waipa involved immense labour hauling the canoes overland Waitemata to the Manukau. A large pa at Matakitohe near Pirongia was captured. Hongi claimed that 1500 were killed and captured. In 1822 Pomare took a substantial force and attacked the Bay of Plenty, the Ngatiawa and Ngait Pukeko fled inland from Whakatane towards the Ureweras. Pomare wanted heads to trade to Europeans and pursued his quarry inland to Ruatoki. In 1823 it was the turn of the Rotorua people to be attacked. A cause could always be found to justify a taua against other tribes. The death of Te Pua o te rangi and most of his party, a Ngapuhi chief at the hands of Tu-hou-rangi branch of Te Arawa at Motu-tawa at Rotokakahi lake was enough. It is strange to learn that erstwhile enemies such as Murupaenga of the Ngatiwhatua who for twenty years had fought against the Ngapuhi allied himself with those under Hongi Hika left in February for Tauranga where Ngai te Rangi were persuaded to join the Ngapuhi war party. Numbers were calculated in topu or pairs probably because the propulsion of canoe required pairs of paddlers and 600 topu are said to have made up this force of 1200 warriors. From Tauranga the Ngapuhi landed at a shallow harbour Waihi near Makokie and with great labour dragged their canoes where they could not paddle them to lake Rotorua via the smaller lakes Rotehu and Rotoiti not without some losses by Te Arawa who made night attacks on sleeping Ngapuhi warriors. Kaiteke is said to have as a leading tohunga, opposed Tuhoto who had raised a storm to prevent the Ngapuhi attacking Mokoia island where the Te Arawa had gathered in great number to defend themselves. Kaiteke is credited with quelling the storm with his incantations and due to the superiority in firearms the Te Arawa were heavily defeated but not without consideralbe losses among the Ngapuhi. Two years later in 1825 Kaiteke was the senior tohunga with the Ngapuhi attack on the Ngati whatua their primary enemies with whom they always seem to have been at war. Hongi Hika was the commander in chief supported by Turi-ka-tuku his third wife who always accompanied her husband on his many expeditions and whose advice Hongi listened to. And advance party under Te Whara paddled to Mangawhai and Hongi followed with the main body. The battle of Te-ika-a-rangi-nui was fought near Kaiwaka and a memorial plaque is to be seen just to the east of the small town on the road to Mangawhai. S Percy Smith devotes and extensive passage in his Maori Wars of the Ninetheenth Century (pages 329 - 352) to this battle. Kaiteke's part in the campaign is described by quoting a Mr. John White He says " A priest named Kaiteke was accompanying a war party in their canoes from the Bay of Islands to attack the Kaipara natives, unaware that the natives of that district were awaiting them with the intention of fighting at Kaiwaka. Encamped on the shore at night, he invoked the gods to reveal to him his success by matakite, using the same ceremonies to himself whidh were described in a former lecture as being observed when the preist watches over the sleep of his disciple to see if he will become adept in the mysteries he is about to learn. In the trance Kaiteke saw a company of spirits dancing before him and singing. |
| Ki mai te Atua o te Po Ko Mangawhai, au ka mate. Kaore ! Kei te pikitanga, au ka mate, Kaore ! kai kite au, te tai o te uru. Kai kite au, te tai o te awa. E ka kutia, ka wherahia Te tai o te awa O Waihi, ka kutia E kata te wahine. A ko Tu ! ko Tu ! Ka mau A ko Tu ! ko Tu ! Ka mau. A Ko Tu ! ko Tu ! Ka mau E pupuhi ke ana Te hau whenua iara A, ka titiro an, ki te wai kahikatea E tu ki Kaiwaka, ra ! ra ! A ko Tu ! ko Tu ! Kopiko atu, kopika mai, Kopiko atu, kopika mai, Ka whakaaro Tupua Hua mai te riroriro Tautini I! i! i! i! Taurini |
| The gods of night are saying At Mangawhai I shall be slain, No! On the mountain side shall I die, No! When i view the wave of the western sea, And gaze on the river's rippling tide, My grasp shall hold, my power release The flowing tide of the river Of Wahi, will tightly grasp And women's laugh shall say 'Tis Tu! 'tis Tu! O'ercome 'Tis Tu! 'tis Tu! O'ercome The land Breezes blow Another way I see in the distance Kahikatea wood That stand on Kaiwaks's brink, there! there! 'Tis Tu! 'tis Tu! Backwards and forwards Hither and thither, Act ye like gods! for the small Summer birds are assembled in flocks All numberless Ah! ah1 ah1 ah1 Numberless |
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| Translation |
| This is explained to his men on arising from his trance. The line, "Trees are seen in the blood red clouds." signified the enemy waiting in battle; the "small summer birds." were the enemy in retreat after the battle. For "Trees are seen in the blood-red clouds." I translated literally. "I see in the distance the kahikatea woods, that stand on Kaiwaka's brink." which is equally appropriate with Mr White's rendering, and also true to nature, for Kaiwaka is there bordered by tall kahikatea trees close to the field of battle. Tu mentioned above, is the god of war. The following is taken also from "Nga Motea-tea;" it is called mata, and whilst embodying a prophecy, is also used as war-cry to accompany the war dance. It was composed by Kaiteke, the author of the first composition, and I have no doubt was used by Ngapuhi as they started forth to battle. The first and third lines are sung by one of the chiefs standing, whilst the taua silently kneels on one knee, their weapons resting on the ground, one end slanting forward. The first ae! is shouted by all kneeling, at the second they all bound into the air with a great shout, and the remainder is sung or shouted in chorus with an accompaniment of horrible grimaces and contortions of the body. |
| Ka mate koa Kaipara, nei? Ae! Ka mate koa Kaipara, nei? Ae! Ka mate koa Kaipara Ka tu wehiwehi Ka tuwanawana Ka tutu tu puehu Ka runa ki te rangi A lot te puke I Aotea Ka piki, ka kake Hi ha! Ka taupatupatu te riri. |
| Will Kaipara be destroyed? Yes! Will Kaipara be destroyed? Yes! Kaipara shall be destroyed' They stand in fear They stand trembling The dust shall fly Up to the heavens above And the hill at Aotea We climb, we ascend Hi ha! Destructive shall be the battle. |
| The Ngapuhi, taua or war party, under Wharemu and Hongi, numbered about 500 warriors, nearly all armed with muskets, and Hongi himself wore his famous coat of mail given him by his majesty King George IV on his visit to England in 1820. Against this well-armed force, already flushed with success, due to their fire arms, gained against the tribes of the south, Ngati-Whatua, Uri-o-hau and the Roroa brought into the field-they say-over 1.000 men, but amongst them they counted only two muskets. Many of the foremost Ngapuhi chiefs that took part in the battle of Te-ika-a-ranganui died in battle or as result of their wounds. For some such as taiwhanga it may well have been the last campaign they took part in. |
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