Some More Tales Of The Cave Country In The Middle Of The North Isla...

Often caves in the sea-coast cliffs were occupied, especially in time of war.

In the days of warfare between the Taranaki tribes and Waikato, when all the people at the base of Mount Egmont were in fear of the invaders and their muskets, the chief Rawiri te Motutere had a secure place of refuge for his wives and children.

At Hauranga, on the southern side of the Timaru stream,

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which flows down from Egmont, there was a large cave in the face of the sea-cliff; its entrance was partly covered by the tide at high water.

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Within, the bottom of the cave sloped upwards and there was plenty of dry floor space.

Into this cave, Rawiri took his two wives Māweu and Tāpaki (who were sisters), with their children and household goods, and they remained there in hiding until the land was clear of enemies.

The floor of the cave was made comfortable with fern and flax mats, and there was a place where cooking was done, in a hangi, or earth oven, in the usual way.

There was a puta, or hole in the roof of the cave from the top of the cliff above, and Rawiri (as his granddaughter Mere Ngamai told) was accustomed to lower food down through this by a flax line when his wives were unable to venture out.

The upper opening was well concealed by bushes.

The entrance to this cave of refuge is now blocked with sand.

Returning to the limestone cave country of the Rohepotae, there is that beautiful stalactite cavern, or series of caverns, the Ruakuri, near Waitomo.

Concerning its discovery, there is a local legend, the tale of Tane-Tinorau and the wild dogs.

Many generations ago the people who lived in that part of the Hauturu district which is near the Waitomo Caves were the Ngati-Hau tribe.

At that time an important chief of Kawhia named Tane-Tinorau came over the hills from the West Coast with a war party for the purpose of making war on Ngati-Hau.

When the warriors arrived near Waitomo one of their party went to spear birds (aheré manu) and discovered this cave, which at that time was in possession of a number of wild Maori dogs, with their young.

On seeing him approach they attacked him, whereupon he fled, and in order to save himself threw down two bundles of birds that he had speared, to draw off the attention of the dogs from himself.

The ruse was successful and he regained his companions and related the story about the dogs and the cave.

Now, “dogs were dogs” in those days, they were valuable for their skins as well as for food, and the party decided to catch and kill them.

Near the entrance to the cave was a narrow track which anyone going there must follow, as there was no other road.

The party selected that spot for their operations, and there they made a number of rore, or spring traps.

After making them and setting the traps up, one of the party, acting as a decoy, approached the cave, whilst the others hid.

As soon as the dogs saw the man approaching they dashed out at him.

He turned and fled, but took good care to go in the direction of the spring traps, over each of which he jumped as he ran.

The dogs followed at his heels, but were caught in the traps, and were killed at once by the people in hiding.

Then they went into the cave and secured the young dogs (kuao kuri).

That is how the cave came to be called “Te Rua-kuri,” which means “The Den of the Dogs.”

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Tane-Tinorau had several dog skin mats (topuni) made from the skins of the slaughtered kuri.[dogs]

He attacked the Ngati-Hau and killed several of their chiefs and captured their hill fort.

He took the largest of the dog skin mats and spread it on the ground in token of his having acquired the territory, and the spot where he spread it out is known to this day as “Te Horahanga-o-the-kahu-o-Tane-Tinorau” (the place where Tane-Tinorau spread out his garment”).

And near Ruakuri he lived and died.

He was buried with others in a recess or ledge over the entrance to the Ruakuri Cave, and about twenty feet above it, slightly to one side.

This is on the side of a high precipice, and the distance from the ledge to the top is some twenty or thirty feet more.

The ledge was reached from the trees which grew on the face of the cliff in olden times, but which have now disappeared, and the spot can only be got at by means of ropes from the top.

The locality of the recess and ledge is known by a quantity of kokowai (red ochre) that was besmeared there, and that is still visible.

This story was related forty years ago by Tane-Tinorau, the chief then bearing that name, and himself a lineal descendant of the hero of the story.

Info From

The first of the below posts has a list of the previous posts of Maori Myths and Legends

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/how-war-was-declared-between-tainui-and-arawa

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/the-curse-of-manaia-part-1

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/the-curse-of-manaia-part-2

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/the-legend-of-hatupatu-and-his-brothers

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/hatupatu-and-his-brothers-part-2

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/the-legend-of-the-emigration-of-turi-an-ancestor-of-wanganui

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/the-continuing-legend-of-turi

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/turi-seeks-patea