the Maori history in Aotearoa - Musket wars 2

In the next year, the Ngapuhi allied with the Te Roroa and Ngatitoa to travel completely down country, to Cook Strait.

Principal chiefs included Tamati Waka Nene (above), and Te Rauparaha (below)

The Ngapuhi and Te Roroa killed and ate stray natives they found as they traversed Auckland on the way south, and joined up with the Ngatitoa at Kawhia. They continued south, and came up against Atiawa opposition - at the first pa, Pukerangiora, they were repulsed, but at Pukekakamaru and Te Kerikeringa pa's they overran and killed defenders, some 300. Reaching Wanganui, another 100 enemy were killed, and the army moved steadily south.

At Paekakariki treachery allowed access to, and the overrunning of, the besieged Pukeru pa, and then at Port Nicholson the defending Ngatiira were overrun.

At Porirua, a Te Roroa chief made a disastrous decision to cross with his men to the South Island. Their wakas capsized and all drowned, within sight of, but beyond help by, their allies along the shore.

Outside of Wellington, Tamati Waka Nene observed that this would be a perfect place for them to live, with easy access to the Pakeha and trade goods - certainly, over the next few years, many Ngatitoa migrated there in the following years.

When the roaming army left Wellington, to return home, they detoured out to sea from Rangitikei and came into Wanganui by canoe, to rest, and then on to Patea, where they continued overland.

Back at Kawhia, a present of 50 muskets was given to Te Rauparaha, and the Ngapuhi and Te Roroa continued on to their homes.

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Meanwhile, five other groups were independantly decimating the east, and when Samuel Marsden visited the area soon after, he noted that the pas had been destroyed and large areas were deserted.

Ngatipaoa of the Hauraki Gulf were at Rotorua, Ngatiraukawa and Tuhoe were roaming Hawkes Bay, Ngatituwharetoa had attacked Waipawa, and a Ngapuhi chief, Korokoro had attacked the Thames.

Te Wera Hauraki and Pomare, also Ngapuhi, were besieging a pa at Te Araroa, called Te Whetumatarau. Nearly impregnable, Pomare had settled to wait until the defenders starved.

Eventually Pomare pretended to leave, sailing away for two days and then returning to attack in the night, and he took the pa, slaughtering many and taking the rest away with him

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