358 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



cases a niaro would be used. This is a piece of petako, or some other 

 sacred plant or shrub, which is suspended on pou rahui or buried at the 

 base thereof. The rnaro of a rahui is termed " kapu." This kapu is 

 subjected to powerful karakia makutu, strong enough to kill any one 

 who interferes with what is rahui'd. It is generally concealed lest some 

 person purloin it, in which case its virtue ceases, " Mehemea ka kitea e te 

 kai wlianako, kua kore lie nilio o tana kapu." Allied to the above is the 

 singular custom of placing the iho (severed umbilical cord) of children at 

 certain spots to hold the mana of a liapu over their lands. A stone at 

 Te Rahui, Waikaremoana, is a famous takotoranga pito tamariki. Many 

 such strange customs obtained in the Urewera country, and information 

 pertaining thereto should be collected without delay, ere it is too late. 



Yours truly, 



Elsdon Best. 



Note by T. White. — Poit, " a post " ; ivhatu, chief meaning, " a stone " ; 

 kowhatu-iuhaka-pakoko, " stone images" ; viaro "a girdle for the loins"; 

 kapu, " the hollow of the hand " ; makutu, " witchcraft." A kapu ma- 

 kntv, is when the tohunga (priest or wise man) is in such straits as to 

 be unable to make a suitable tuahu or altar ; he then may use the hollow 

 of his hand as a substitute : this is called a " kaupapa." One meaning 

 for ivhata is " an altar " ; mana, " the strength or power of possession " ; 

 hapti, " the subdivision of a tribe residing apart " ; karakia, " an incan- 

 tation." 



In a small but very interesting pamphlet, "Waikaremoana," 

 page 16, Mr. Elsdon Best tells us further about Te Rahui : — 



Travelling by Canoe on Lake Waikaremoana. — " We are 

 now approaching the point known as Te Eahui, between 

 which and Te Upoko-o-te-ao (the head of the world) is Otau- 

 rito. Te Rahui is a kind of meeting-place of the winds, and 

 is much dreaded by native canoe-men when the lake is rough. 

 The saying at such a time is, ' Kia ata ivhakapnta i Te Rahui ' 

 — that is, 'Be careful in passing Te Rahui.' If a canoe 

 reaches Otau-rito safely when crossing in bad weather the 

 paddlers thereof consider all danger is past. The tohunga 

 (wise man) . . . now commences to initiate us into the 

 ancient lore of Waikaremoana. Thus the kaumatua (old 

 man) : ' The large isolated rock you see at the point of Te 

 Rahui is an ancient lohare pito tamariki, or takotoranga iho 

 tamariki, a spot where the iho (umbilical cord) of new-born 

 children is placed as a tohu tolienua. This custom, as it 

 obtained in Tuhoe Land, was to place the iho of children of 

 succeeding generations at certain spots, in order to preserve 

 the tribal influence over the lands adjacent. The iho was 

 secured to a stone, and after the former decayed the stone 

 still maintained the name and power of the iho. This is an 

 old custom, and I myself have seen it carried out. And 

 across the lake, where you see the hill Ngaheni, at Opu- 

 ruahine, there lies the iho of Hopa's brother, which preserves 

 our mana over those lands. And it is from such dangerous 

 places as Te Rahui that the lake derives its name of Waikare- 

 whanunga-kore. Ka ptita i Te Rahui, a ko te ao marama 

 (If you pass Te Rahui you shall look upon the world of life).' " 



