The City of Auckland, New Zealand, 1840-1920Barr, John
History
The City of Auckland, New Zealand, 1840-1920
Barr, John
Auckland (N.Z.) -- History
This affair resulted from some tribal differences in the
Waitakerei-Kaipara borderland, about 1680. Kawharu (who was a chief
connected with the Northern Ngati-Whatua) attacked the tribes in those
districts, driving all before him. He assaulted also many of the
Tamaki villages, continuing his campaign until he reached as far as
the Paparoa headland, east of Howick. Capturing and destroying the pa
there, he returned to Kaipara.
[Illustration: Interior of a Maori Pa, about the year 1840
_After a painting shown at the Colonial Indian Exhibition, London_]
WARS WITH HAURAKI GULF TRIBES
To the south-east were the powerful Hauraki coastal tribes, who, like
those of Tamaki, had gone through much the same history. Also descended
from the Patu-paiarehe, they had gradually incorporated their pedigrees
with those of the Tainui, Arawa and other people. The earliest warfare
on record of Tamaki with these people originated (so says the legend)
when the Tamaki tribes slew the pet seal belonging to the Hauraki
people. Strange to say, this animal (named "Ureia") was on a visit to
Manukau Harbour, at the invitation of the Tamaki people, and there it
met its untimely end. Surely the most unusual of Maori _casus belli_.
Maru-tuahu, as the tribes of the Hauraki district were called, then
invaded Tamaki. They attacked among other places the Maunga-whau (Mount
Eden) pa. After various other successes they returned homewards.
THE MURDER OF KAHURAUTAO
Subsequent to this affair was the warfare resulting from the murder of
Kahurautao, his son Kiwi, and other Maru-tuahu chiefs. These people
were returning from Waikato by canoe _via_ Manukau and Tamaki. They
had visited the Tamaki chiefs at Mount Eden and other places, and on
their return to their canoes at the Tamaki River they were waylaid
and murdered near where St. John's College now stands, hence the name
of that place, "Paru-tahi"--killed together. The Maru-tuahu tribes,
under Kahu's son Rau-tao, thereupon invaded Tamaki. They attacked with
success the riverside pas at Tamaki, also those at Mount Eden, One Tree
Hill and Orakei. Crossing to Takapuna, they scoured along the coast as
far as Mahurangi. Apparently all those people, being Ngai-Tai, were of
one tribal identity. This was not the last time these coastal tribes
suffered in this way.
KAPETAWA'S INVASION
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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