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The Migration from Poverty Bay (Turanga) to Hawke's Bay (Heretaonga).
Turanga was formerly the home of the present Maori owners of the land about Napier, Hawke's Bay, but through the murder of two children, the twins of Kahutapere and Rongomaitara, sister of Rakai-te-hikuroa, they were driven thence. The names of the children were Tarakuita and Tarakitai. How it happened was in this way:–-Rakai-te-hikuroa (grendson of Kahungunu, and fourth from Tamatea, who with Rongokaka came from Hawaiki) felt annoyed that the preserved food, such as birds cured in calabashes in their own fat, should be given to the twins in place of being kept for his son Tupurupuru. He therefore determined on destroying his sister's children. The plan he decided on was this:–-The children were in the habit of playing whip-top during the day. In Rakai-te-hikuroa's pa, named Maunga-puremu, near the present village of Ormond, there was a kumera pit by the side of the path. When the children commenced to play, Rakai-te-hikuroa walked up and knocked the tops into the hole, and then told the twins to get them out again. Immediately they were in the hole he filled it up. As evening advanced the parents became anxious and searched in every direction, but could not discover their children. They then made kites of raupo leaf (Typha angustifolia) shaped like hawks, covering the outside with xaute,*–-paper mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera); these kites were sent up
[Footnote] * The aute (Broussonetia papyrifera) is said to have been brought by the early Maori settlers, and cultivated to make clothing of the bark; it is now extinct.
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into the air. They kept ascending till they were on a level with the pa of Rakai–te–hikuroa. They then sailed in a direct line to it, and hovered over his house, and commenced nodding their heads. It was then known who had killed the children. Then Kahutapere, whose pa was Pukepoto, near the residence of Mr. W. Chambers, Repongaere, collected his followers and attacked Rakai-te-hikuroa. There was killed Tupurupuru, son of Rakai-te-hikuroa who was defeated, and with his followers fled to Ukurarenga on Mahia Peninsula.
The name of the oven in which Tupurupuru was cooked was Whakatauai. The stones used were called rehu, and resembled scoria. They were also called whahukura and whaturangahua. There was also a greenstone mere used called whakatangiara. After the people had resided at Ukurarenga for some time, Kahuparoro arose to go to Turanga. Rakai-te-hikuroa, on ascertaining his intention, said to him, “Friend, go in peace to where our son rests, but let his spirit hover in quietness over Turanga.” meaning that the bones of his son shold not be disturbed. On Kahuparoro's arrival at Turanga he collected the bones of Tupurupuru and brought them to the Mahanga, near the Mahia, and there left the skull. He then proceeded on to Nukutauroa (Table Cape), and there made fish-hooks of the shoulder blades. The name of the rock from whence he started to fish is Matakana. When he threw out the hook to fish, he chanted the following hurihuri (incantation):–-Divide, divide the waters of Tawake with the red ornamental weapon of Tupurupuru and Rakai-te-hikuroa. Who is thy ancestor? He is Takitamaku Tahito-rangi and Pahito-weka.”
When he pulled up the hook he had caught a hapuku. Tamaiwiriwiri hearing the chant thought it was Tupurupuru fishing, so he hastened to Ukuraienga and informed Rakai-te-hikuroa what he had heard; Tamaruihiri also discovered that Tupurupuru's bones had been used to dig fernroot with by Hauhau. Then fighting commenced to avenge the insult, and many were killed on both sides. In one of these engagements Hauhau and several others were slain.
Rakai-te-hikuroa and his followers had to retreat to the Wairoa, but the people of that place did not give them welcome, nor supplied them with canoes to cross the river with, so Rakai-te-hikuroa, to make his party appear more formidable, tatooed the women like men, and set up tatooed calabashes, and performed a haka led on by Hinekura. The chant used was–-“A tie kei, tie kei tietiekei tiekei tie ha koa, koa koa ei ei.” The Wairoa people residing near the crossing came to look on, so when they were well scattered Rakai-te-hikuroa and party attacked them and killed many of them, and then proceeded to Arapauanui.
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When Tarangakahutai, the chief of the pa, saw him and his party coming, he called out “Where is Taraia?” Taraia replied, “Here I am.” Tarangakahutai then shouted, “Stand forth that I may know you,” which Taraia did. His dress was a mat made of feathers. Tarangakahutai then said, “I shall know you directly, your heart shall be my food.”
Taraia then took a stone, and repeating the tipihoumea (incantation), threw it at Tarangakahutai, and it knocked his head-dress of feathers off. They fell at Taraia's feet, who called out, “I know that it is I that shall eat your heart presently.”
The fighting then commenced, and Rakai-te-hikuroa was driven back. A woman named Hinepare, thinking her poople were defeated, took the calabash in which the gods were kept and ascended a rock and broke the calabash, crying out,–-“Cursed be the mothers of these men, presently our nakedness will be exposed to the enemy.” Her brothers hearing the corse, the crash of the calabash on the rock, and the lamentations of the women, imagined that the head of a man had been broken. So Taraia rallied his people again and returned to the fight, and many were killed.
Here was killed Tarangakahutai and Rakaiweriweri and others of the enemy, and Waikari and others of Rakai-te-hikuroa's party. A dispute arose over the body of Rakaiweriweri as to which family he belonged. Taraia hearing of the dispute, arose and took two pieces of toi-toi (Arundo conspicua), and cast lots with the mii, saying, if of Rakaiweriweri go, if you hold, you belong to this tribe. He cast it, and the mii held, he was therefore declared to be of the family of Rakai-te-hikuroa. The incantation used was;–-“Unihia i te pu, unihia i te weri, unihia i takitaki, unihia i tamore i Hawaiki.” This was the fourth death in payment of Tupurupuru.
Rakai-te-hikuroa and party then moved on to Wakaari, Tauranga, and Heipipi, near Tangoio. The chiefs of those pas were Tautu and Tunui. While at Wakaari, there arrived from Heretaonga a man named Totara, who boasted of the abundance and goodness of the food of his place. Tawao said, on hearing of this, the Wanga-nui-o-roto (Napier Harbour, celebrated for its shellfish), shall be the mara (garden) of Tawao. Taraia said the Ngaruroro celebrated for kahawai shall be the ipu (calabash) of Taraia.
The party then moved on to the mouth of the Ngaruroro and drove off Hatupuna and his people, and the Awa-nui-a-rangi and Whatu-ma-moa. Their principal pa was Otatara (Redcliffe, near Taradale). Kahukura-nui, father of Rakai-te-hikuroa, took to wife Tu-te-ihonga, chieftainness of Whatu-ma-moa, after he had returned from Motuo. Taraia and Porangahou had avenged the death of her former husband who had been killed by the people of that district. So we became amalgamated with that people in the second generation, after the arrival of Takitimu from Hawaiki.