When the warrior chief Maki was so treacherously slain by the Ngati-Tuiriangi, those men who escaped went straight on to Karewa at Kawhia and to the old chief Toa-Rangatira at Marokopa, where they found the old chief exceedingly ill.
When Karewa heard of Maki’s death, and the illness of Toa-Rangatira, as well as his grief for Maki, he thought that if the revenge for Maki’s death were delayed very long Toa-Rangatira would grieve unto death.
So Karewa went to Taranaki, to his relatives Tukutahi, Reketaia and the rest of the Mutunga, and gathered a war party.
When they returned to Kawhia, he sent a man to Toa-Rangatira to get Tupahau’s Taiaha which was a weapon of great mana and fame.
They then marched on Nagi-Turiangi, and put them to rout, and only two of the principal men escaped, they were Honohono-iho and Honohono- ake.
Karewa went in pursuit of these two men from place to place, he chased them until they came north to the Ngapuhi Territory.
[north of Auckland]
When they reached the Ngapuhi the tribal leaders asked them about the fighting prowess of Karewa.
They replied, “E puta ana a Karewa, huna ki Tangihua, he anga kainga e hokia”.
[Should Karewa appear and show fight, hide in the Tangihua mountains, An empty house can always be occupied], meaning, that the Ngapuhi should lie in ambush there, and when an opportunity occur they should fall on Karewa and kill him and his men.
Karewa appeared in that country and the men again urged the Ngapuhi to ambush them at Tangihua.
The Ngapuhi would not listen to their proposal, or to lie in ambush, they were anxious to attack Karewa and test him, as he only had 140 men in his war party.
While they were getting ready, and arranging themselves into their battle array, Karewa attacked with great ferocity, and the Ngapuhi were demoralized, and their army utterly routed.
The remnants, with Honohono-iho and Honohono-ake, escaped to the mountains.
Karewa then stopped his advance on the Ngapuhi and returned to Kawhia.
@len.george/the-spread-of-the-descendants-of-hoturoa
@len.george/tainui-canoe-travels-from-hawaiki-to-new-zealand
@len.george/myths-and-legends-of-new-zealand-intro
@len.george/how-this-series-began
@len.george/the-warrior-deeds-of-kaihuma
@len.george/how-kaihamu-killed-his-enemies-at-waiatapu
@len.george/tupahau-goes-fishing-at-marokopa
@len.george/maki-s-battles-in-tamaki
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