196 Transactions. 



County Press, together with an invitation to all godless scoffers 

 to go and see for themselves. 



Another species of forest-dwelling folk were known as nana- 

 kia, or are so termed in folk-tales. " Our ancestors called them 

 nanakia because they were such a mischievous people. They 

 were a very strange people, who lived in trees in the forest. 

 They built no houses, and knew not the use of clothing or fire. 

 They were unable to kindle fire, and ate all their food in a raw 

 state. They lived principally upon birds, the which they trans- 

 fixed with their long finger-nails. Once upon a time a Maori 

 woman was captured by these nanakia, and lived with them for 

 some time before she escaped to her own people. She taught 

 those strange folk the arts of fire-generation and cooking of 

 food. Friend, I will tell you the story of that woman : In 

 clays of old a certain woman dwelt with her husband. One day 

 she went into the forest to procure food. She was seized by a 

 nanakia, who carried her off to his home in the woods. Her 

 husband waited in vain for her return, but she returned not ; 

 hence he set off to search for her in the woods. He found her 

 basket lying on the ground, and followed the tracks of his wife 

 and her captor until he came to the home of the nanakia. It 

 so happened that that creature was absent at the time, engaged 

 in catching birds to serve as food for himself and his captive 

 wife. The husband asked his wife when the bushman would 

 return home. She replied, ' Not for some time yet.' Then 

 he inquired, ' How may I conceal myself ? ' The woman 

 replied, ' I will manage that.' So she dug a hole at the place 

 where the feathers of the birds caught by the wild woodsman 

 were thrown away when the birds were plucked. She then told 

 her husband to lie clown in the pit. whereupon she covered him 

 with feathers. Soon after the concealment the nanakia returned 

 home, showing signs of anger and suspicion {e kune haere <imt 

 mai), and cried out ' Kunekune he tangata kai te Icainga? The 

 woman remarked, ' No, there is no one here save myself.' 

 Whereupon the nanakia became still more angry, while the 

 woman strove to pacify him. At length his anger calmed down. 

 When night came he slept. Then the woman arose and went 

 to fetch her husband. The twain came to the place where the 

 nanakia lay. The woman took her place at the feet of the 

 creature, her husband stood by his head. Then they attacked 

 him with axes. They CU1 off his head, hut his alius still fought. 

 They cut off his anus, but his le^s still fought. They cut off 

 his legs, and then it was that the nanakia perished. Even so 

 that man of old recovered his wife, and the twain returned to 

 their home. Now, while that woman was kept a captive by the 

 nanakia she learned one of the songs of that strange folk, which 



