natives, whom they annihilated, embodying their women and children into their own people. Thus the natives who lived in Westland for over two hundred years ceased to exist as a separate tribe and were replaced by the Ngai-Tahu, the descendants of whom still reside at the Arahura.
The next event of outstanding interest occurred when the Ngati-tama, Ati-Awa and Ngati-rarua tribes, under the leadership of Niho, made their historic raid on the greenstone country (1828). Te Rauparaha in this year had invaded the East Coast and a section of his tribe set out for Westland by the coastal route. They believed there was a great store of greenstone at the Arahura and though they duly reached their objective they failed to obtain the pounamu. During this raid, Tuhuru (father of Werita Tainui) was captured. He, however, was ransomed for a very famous mere—kai-kanohi. From the Arahura most of the raiders returned to the Mawhera Pa, Greymouth. Eight years later, Te Puoho led another war party from Golden Bay and proceeded still further south, destroying as they went. They, however, met their Waterloo at the Mataura River, where the Maoris of those parts, armed by the early sealers with the dreaded musket—as also were the raiders—killed two of them and made prisoner all the rest with the exception of one man, who made his way back to Golden Bay.
