Their eldest son, Marakauiti, (not to be confused with the Māori youth of the same name who was one of the guests aboard HMS Endeavour in Poverty Bay) had two wives, and his brother, Te Rewai, was the husband of three women.
The introduction of Ngunguru into Te Kani's family tree gave him the distinction of being descended from a famous couple—Tahito-kuru Maranga and Tao Putaputa—who, according to tradition, were united in wedlock after a love charm worked successfully.
Elsdon Best considered that it might have been composed of part of a bird's skin saturated in oil expressed from the seeds of the fruit of the titoki and scented by the inclusion of fragrant leaves, moss or gum.
Tahito placed the atahuoi in a ngaruru (large Trochus)[4] shell, repeated a love charm over it, and instructed it to go quickly to Opape (near Ōpōtiki), where Tao was in the habit of gathering pāua.
Brought close to the embers, the ngaruru is said to have opened its lips and to have told her the old, old story in the form of a lament which Tahito had composed.
Said the cockle: “When Tahito flung me on the waters, he cried: ‘Tell of my love to, Tao,’ and I, now dying, am fulfilling the trust that he reposed in me.” No time was lost by Tao in hitting the Kowhai trail leading to Poverty Bay, and, soon, she was in the arms of the waiting Tahito, of whom Ngunguru, a great grandmother of Te Kani, was a descendant.
When Marsden was at Rangihoua in 1820 he met a young East Coast captive woman, who claimed to be a niece of “Hina, a great Queen,” of whom, he said, he had often heard.
J. Butler that the chief place which he had visited was “Enamatteeora,” about 400 miles (640 km) from the Bay of Islands—clearly a reference to the district ruled over by Hinematioro.
When Pourewa pa was about to fall into Pakira's hands Hinematioro was assisted down a cliff and placed in a canoe, which made off towards Whangara Island.
D'Urville, commander of the French vessel L'Astrolabe, which visited Tolaga Bay in 1827, gives the earliest pen-picture of Te Kani.
Next day some other chiefs were denied a like privilege, “although with visible repugnance.” One of them (Te Kani) would not obey the sentinel, and, trembling with rage, left only when peremptorily ordered by D'Urville to do so.
He was hardly 30 years old, and became known to the voyagers as “Shaki.” On account of Te Kani's stature and haughty appearance, and the air of submission adopted by those who surrounded him, it soon became obvious that he was a chief.
As Rangiuia admitted that Shaki was a great chief, D'Urville signalled him to come on board, and, after explaining to him that he had not been aware of his high birth, made him a few gifts.
When the newcomers accepted an invitation to go on board, however, Te Kani adopted a very modest demeanour towards them, offering them some large hatchets which he had received as gifts.
He adds: “His handsome countenance was but little marked with the moko, and was garnished with a large, dark, bushy beard, which gave him the appearance of an Arab of Mocha.”[6] Following the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi (te Tiriti), Henry Williams arrived in Poverty Bay on 8 April 1840 on the ship Ariel with a Māori-language copy of te Tiriti ('Tūranga Treaty copy').
The slain included three of his brothers (or, perhaps, cousins), and he escaped only by jumping into a canoe and paddling for dear life to a pa at the mouth of the river.
[5]: 171 This engagement does not appear in E. F. Harris's list of battles fought in Poverty Bay, and no reference to it has been found in the Native Land Court minute books.
However, Richard Leach, of Whangara, pointed out to Joseph Angus Mackay a clump of trees to the north-east of the village, which, he said, sheltered Te Kani's last resting place.
Many conjectures have been made as to why the Poverty Bay and East Coast tribes stood aloof from the Māori King Movement in 1856 and 1857, seeing that most of their members denied allegiance to Queen Victoria.
Mr Wardell described it to the Governor as “the most influential and most numerously attended that has taken place since my arrival.” In none of the speeches was there support for the Queen's authority.