Best. — Food Products of Tuhoeland. 65 



In the way of fish the denizens of Tuhoeland are probably 

 worse off than any other tribe. In the first place, having no 

 seaboard, they could do no sea-fishing, although doubtless 

 they would occasionally obtain sea-fish from the coast peoples 

 formerly in the way of presents. Again, the streams of this 

 district have ever been poorly supplied with fish, the Jcokojm 

 being the most numerous. Eels have always been scarce 

 here on the headwaters of the Whakatane, Tauranga, and 

 Whirinaki Eivers. The natives also state that there are no 

 eels in Waikare-moana. Other smaller fish were also scarce. 



The origin of the eel, according to the mythology of the 

 Maori, is, like that of other fish, the great Tangaroa, who 

 presides as a sort of tutelary deity over the denizens of ocean, 

 stream, and lake. One Tuna, or Puhi, is often mentioned in 

 legend as the eel-god, a sort of supernatural creature, who is 

 credited with the performance of some singular deeds. 



This Puhi, alias Tuna, appears to have flourished far back 

 in the night of time, when heroes and demigods obtained. 

 Maui, of immortal fame, discovered that Hine-nui-te-Po, the 

 goddess of Hades, was carrying on something more than 

 a flirtation with Tuna, the eel-god. Maui, being attentive 

 to the morals of other persons, proposed to put a stop to the 

 above state of things. He did so by destroying Tuna. This 

 was one of Maui's acts which eventually caused his death, 

 for Hine was not taking interference quietly, and so, by 

 dread arts of magic, caused the death of Maui. 



In White's " Ancient History of the Maori," vol. ii., 

 page 69, we read that Maui married Hine, a daughter of 

 Tuna and Eepo, and that he slew Tuna for interfering 

 with Hine. When slain the head of Tuna fled to the fresh 

 water, and that is the origin of fresh-water eels ; while the 

 tail of Tuna fled to the ocean and became the conger-eel. 



At page 76 of the same volume a Ngati-Hau legend states 

 that Hine was a sister of Irawaru, and Tuna a son of Manga- 

 wai-roa. Also that Tuna concealed himself in a pool named 

 Muriwai-o-Hata (? Muriwai o Ata), where he was slain by 

 Maui. " Then from the body of Tuna sprang Puku-tuoro, 

 which is the monster (taniiuha) of Aotea-roa." And it is the 

 blood of Tuna which renders red the totara, rimu, and some 

 other timbers. 



The tuoro, according to the Tuhoe legends, is a huge 

 monster which lives underground and burrows great tunnels 

 as it moves on its subterranean way, uprooting trees and 

 changing the face of the earth, for the valley of the Waikare 

 Stream at Maunga-pohatu was so formed. There is a place 

 at Te Whaiti called Te Ana Tuoro (the Tuoro Cave), albeit 

 the cave has long disappeared. 



One authority here states that Maui married Pani, and it 

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