470 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



of food (the Polynesian Ceres — for corn substitute kumara = 

 sweet potato). Hine-raumati gave birth to Tanerore. who 

 was the origin of the haka (posture dance). On a hot summer 

 day you may see the haka of Tanerore {i.e., the quivering of 

 heated air). 



Origin of cooking Food. 



When Eongomaui obtained the kumara from Whanui he 

 brought them down to this world and gave them to Pani- 

 tinaku. And Eongo said to Pani, "Take these and prepare 

 the sacred food in the sacred ovens " {i.e., to take the tayu on 

 the kumara). This was the first occasion on which food was 

 cooked by man. Had it not been for Eongomaui man would 

 still be eating his food in a raw state, as birds and dogs do, for 

 they do not know how to cook food. 



Peace and peace-making and the peaceful arts originated 

 with Eongo-matane and Ioio-whenua. The great upholders 

 of peace were Te Hapu-oneone, All peace and gentleness in 

 the world of men proceeds from those remote beings. 



Origin of Fire. 



As stated, Mahuika and Hine-i-tapeka were the origin of 

 fire and the tutelary deities of that element. The children of 

 Mahuika were Takonui, Takoroa, Manawa, Mapere, and Toiti. 

 These were represented by her fingers, and were themselves 

 the primal fire." When Maui went to Mahuika to obtain 

 fire for mankind she gave him one of her fingers ; but Maui 

 the deceitful surreptitiously destroyed the borrowed fire and 

 returned for more, until all the offspring of Mahuika were 

 destroyed. Then rose Hine-i-tapeka, and Maui fled, pursued 

 by the fire. But Maui, as he fled, repeated an invocation 

 which caused rain to descend in such volume that the pursuing 

 fire was threatened with extinction, and was only saved by 

 concealing itself in the ka-ikomako tree — i.e., it took shelter 

 with Hine-kaikomako, the personification of that tree. Hence 

 it is that man ever obtains fire from Hine-kaikomako. 



(The kaikomako furnishes the best wood for the purpose 

 of obtaining fire by friction, and the sticks carried by travellers 

 were generally of that timber. If the kauahi are seasoned a 

 competent person will produce fire in about three minutes, as 

 I have often seen.) 



The fire that burns in the underworld is said to be the fire 

 of Tapeka. 



Origin, or Prototype, or Personifications of Birds. 

 The kaioau (cormorant) sprang from Noho-tumutumu, the 

 parera (brown duck) from Moe-tahuna, the weweia from Euku- 



* These are yet the names of the fingers among the Tuhoe Tribe : 

 Takonui (the thumb), Takoroa (the index finger), &o. 



