34 Transacti07is . — Miscellaneous. 



was degraded and the tapu taken off her. No girl of the 

 common people could be a puhi, nor yet a younger daughter, 

 but only the tajmiru (first-born daughter of a chief's family). 

 The j^uhi was a renowned personage (he wahine ingoa nui), 

 for such was the object of the custom. Hine-i-tm-ama was a 

 famous pw/ii until she fell from grace. She fled to the forest 

 and there gave birth to a child (afterwards known as Tu- 

 Avairua). A search-party found her by hearing her singing a 

 lullaby over her child in the depths of the forest. Huinga-o- 

 te-ao/of the ancient Maruiwi, was a famous pichi, she who 

 died the tragic death near 0-hiwa. Nahau was another 

 renowned jJ2t/a, so tajm that she could do nothing for herself, 

 hence the saying, " E noho ra, E Nahau ! Tena te ia o Bangi- 

 taiki hai kaioe i a koe." 



The following song, termed a Waiata. viate kanehe, was 

 composed by a pichi of days gone by who had fallen in love 

 with a man named Kau-i-te-rangi. She thus addresses 



him : — 



Tera te waka i a Kau-i-te-rangi — e 

 Kapokapo aua mai me he rau harakeke. 

 Tera, E Pa ! Ka raakamaka i o rimu 

 Kia hemo ake ai nga tapu i ahau 

 Kapo ana koe ko te whakahoro e roto 

 Oma ana ki matenga 

 Kia patua i roto Tuhapari e te ika 

 E ta te moari, e te tau — e 

 Tuakina a Piha, ka whiu ki te pari. 



Courtship, "Atahu," Arranging of Marriage. 



A good deal of formality pertained to the arrangement of a 

 marriage. When a young man wished to marry a certain girl 

 he would usually inform his elders of his wish. A meeting of 

 the village community, usually a suh-hapti or family group, 

 would then be held, and the matter would be discussed at 

 length, each person who wished to make any remarks rising 

 to address the meeting, both men and women taking part in 

 the discussion and arrangements. The girl would be asked 

 before all the assembled people as to whether she was agree- 

 able or not. The matter would not be ended with the consent 

 of the girl, her parents, and near relatives. The tribe would 

 take part in the matter and have their say, often making 

 objections on some ground or other, as in the case, already 

 quoted, of Kangi and Hapine. Sometimes when they expect 

 opposition a young couple will take to the woods and remain 

 there for some time, until the matter is arranged or they are 

 discovered and the girl taken away. 



There is, of course, much more formahty in arranging a 

 marriage between persons of the chieftain class than is the 

 case among the common people, marriage having its origin as 



