Page:Hawaiki The Original Home of the Maori.djvu/168

156 When the two warriors met again on the beach in the morning, a fiercer struggle than ever set in. "They strove from early dawn till the sun was high in the sky," says the narrative, "and then came the pulling of the rope from the vessel; Orokeva was caught; he fell; Vakatau sprang on him, and soon Orokeva's head was on board Vakatau's vessel." And now it was arranged that Vakatau should remain aboard with 100 men, whilst Rae-noo-upoko proceeded ashore with 400 followers to destroy the people of Atu-Apai, root and branch. A great destruction followed—the houses were burnt, much booty was obtained, and many were killed. Apopo-te-akatinatina and Apopo-te-ivi-roa fled before Vakatau's brother, Tama-te-ura-mongamonga, until they reached the far side of the island, where, hastily lading a canoe, with a few of their people they took to the sea, and eventually made their way to Rarotonga, where they were the first inhabitants, or tangata-uenua, whose descendants were found there 375 years after by Tangiia in the year 1250.

And now, the warriors having done their work, they set up Apakura's youngest son, Vaea-ma-kapua, as ariki over the Haapai group.

A reference to page 161 of vol. iv. of the Journal of the Polynesian Society, will show the Moriori account of this incident, which differs merely in detail from the above brief abstract of the long Rarotongan story. In "Polynesian Mythology," p. 61, is one of the Maori versions of the same event; but there are many others, and, but for the account of the burning of the temple or house—Te Uru-o-Manōno—they are remarkably like that just given, derived from Rarotonga.

Through Apakura, the connection between the Rarotongan tangata-uenua, or first settlers there, and the Maoris can be shown. Thus, Apakura's two brothers, both named