Best. — Maori Marriage Customs. 49 



given will apply to this function. We make presents to our 

 guests as they did to us." 



The above is a description of the paktavha as it obtained 

 in Tuhoeland, and still does, with the exception of several 

 items, as the rahiri whare and turanga-a-tohu. This custom 

 was not carried out with low-born people. Also, the elders 

 of the husband would probably decline to give a feast and 

 gifts to, and entertain, the relatives of the wife if she was 

 known as a kai-rau (fornicator). 



When the son of Te Purewa married a Turanga woman 

 the house built for the pahmvlia, near Gisborne, was a tem- 

 porary one, but it was a gift to the guests, and a valuable one ; 

 for it was a long house, and the walls thereof were composed 

 of calico print, while the roof was covered with new blankets. 



Some time ago Paora, of Tuhoe, married a Ngati-Eaukawa 

 woman here at Eua-tahuna. They lived here about two 

 years, and then went, accompanied by some of Paora's rela- 

 tives, to the wife's people. The young couple lived there 

 about a year, then they returned to Eua-tahuna, escorted by 

 some of Ngati - Eaukawa, who were entertained here by 

 Paora's relatives. This latter was a ivhakahoki pakutvlia. 

 The couple have smce returned to the wife's home, where 

 they are now living. 



The expression ta pakuwha is applied to affinitative rela- 

 tives — i.e., relatives by marriage. A company of related 

 people travelling together to visit the parents-in-law of one of 

 their number is so termed. (Compare ta tataeto = a flock of 

 whiteheads — a bird.) It appears to be applied only to a com- 

 pany of persons. A couple visiting their son-in-law would be 

 termed simply pakuwha. 



Kaupapa yakuwha : " Suppose I marry your daughter. 

 I select a greenstone weapon or ornament or a fine cloak 

 and present it to you (my father-in-law) as a kaupapa paku- 

 wha. Hence we hear such questions as, ' Where are the 

 kaiqoapa of the pakuivha?'" Then such gifts are exhibited 

 for inspection. Or a man may ask, " Where did you obtain 

 that weapon of yours?" "Oh, it is a kaupapa pakuioha of 

 the daughter of such a person." 



The term ivhakatakoto paktiwha seems to apply to any or 

 all of the arrangements for a marriage, from the ta2iinoii to- 

 the marriage feast. 



Ope pakuwha always carried their arms with them in 

 former times. It was not well to move abroad without 

 weapons in the old fighting-days, for treachery was a common 

 occurrence, and no man knew when he was safe. 



Very often the pakuiuha party were greeted by a turanga a 

 tohu, which is practically a war-dance, all the performers 

 being armed ; but it is merely given as an exhibition, and not, as- 



4— Trans. 



