508 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



feet of the Commissioner a greenstone axe, saying in their 

 usual style of metaphor, "Now that we have for ever 

 launched this land into the sea, we hereby make over to you 

 as lasting evidence of its surrender this adze named Pai- 

 whenua, which we have always highly prized from having re- 

 gained it in battle after it was used by our enemies to kill two 

 of our most celebrated chiefs, Te Pehi and Pokaitara. Money 

 vanishes and disappears ; but this greenstone will endure as 

 durable a witness of our act as the land itself which we have 

 now under the shining sun of this day transferred to you for 

 ever." 



Mr. Travers mentions several celebrated meres — viz. : 

 One with which Te Wherowhero, the father of the chief who 

 afterwards became the Maori King, and is still so called, 

 killed two hundred and fifty prisoners of war at a sitting, 

 smashing the head of each with a single blow. His son still 

 has the mere. Another, called Kai-kanohi, now in the posses- 

 sion of the descendants of Matenga te Aupori, with which, 

 as has already been mentioned, Ngaitahu once ransomed 

 Tuhuru, who had been taken prisoner by Eauparaha's 

 branch expedition. I have elsewhere referred to the two 

 beautiful weapons which Te Pehi has left to his descendants. 

 Others are connected with the history of the North Island 

 tribes. 



In the early part of this century a splendid mere was 

 buried secretly in a swamp in Southland to settle a dispute as 

 to who was to inherit it. Not long since a half-caste, in dig- 

 ging a post-hole for a fence, accidentally dug it up, and re- 

 stored it to the heir, death having settled the dispute. Similarly 

 one now lies hidden in a swamp beyond Eiverton. It is well 

 known that in the North Island many have been hidden, and 

 in many instances mortality in the tribe has obliterated all 

 knowledge of the hiding-place. Occasionally lost meres are 

 found and recognised, to the great joy of the tribe. On other 

 occasions Europeans have found them buried in the ground or 

 hidden in old hollow trees. Indeed, Polack's prediction, made 

 fifty years ago, has been fully realised — namely, that in future 

 many aboriginal curiosities would be discovered by European 

 colonists, as the New-Zealanders have been in the habit from 

 time immemorial of burying with their dead the favourite 

 axes and implements of stone that were highly prized by the 

 chiefs whilst in existence. 



Other Ornaments and Objects. 



The mako, the beautiful tooth of the tiger-shark, is much 

 prized as a keepsake, and is handed down from generation to 

 generation ; but its inferiority to a jewel of Jcahurangi or 

 pounamu of the first water is recognised in the ode, — 



