feel the softness of its stroke.” And the chivalrous chief, not to be outdone in courtesy, forebore to kill him, and giving his own patiti to the conquered foe, bade him take it and go in peace with his child.
During the intertribal wars a leader of the Ngai Tai was slain by the Whakatohea who cut up the body, the head falling to the share of the Ngati Rua tribe. At a later time the Ngai Tai redeemed the head, giving a mere named Wawahi Rangi in exchange for it.
The longest mere in the British Museum belonged to Te Hiko-o-te-rangi, son of the chief Te Pehi, who visited England in 1826. The name of this weapon is Tuhi-wai. Another historic mere in the same collection is Papa-tahi, which was once in the possession of Rauparaha. Both were presented by Sir George Grey. Unfortunately they were injured in a fire that occurred at Government House, Auckland, while he owned them.
Another famous patu was Piwari, formerly the property of Ripa, one of the chiefs of the Bay of Islands. In Canon Stack’s Kaiapohia mention is made of Te Kaoreore, the greenstone patu of a chief named Te Aratangata, who in a very fierce fight against a hostile tribe did great execution with it till it broke, leaving only the handle in his hand. Seven other northern chiefs who had been driving bargains in greenstone fell on that day in the same pa.
There is something of simple and touching dignity in the story of the first presentation of a mere by a Maori chief to the King of England. H.M.S. Buffalo, Captain Sadler, came to New Zealand in 1834 to buy kauri spars for the British Navy. When the English officer had accomplished his mission,
