Best. — On Maori Games. 49 



often took part in it. A great many different patterns ob- 

 tained, some of them being most intricate and difficult to 

 acquire. One pattern is known as " te waka-o-Ta7iia-rereti," 

 and when made the following lines were repeated : — 



Hoea te waka o Tama-rereti 

 Ki te take harakeke 

 Hoea ! 



Another pattern was termed the " Tiremiremi," and when 

 formed the parts were worked to and fro (me he tangata e ai 

 ana) to the following words : — 



E ai ana hold, e pare he ana 



Te waha o to kotore ki rau o te whenua 



Ira to puta, te kainea o te ariki 



Aua nene, aua rekareka. 



Te ivliare-o-Takoreke, another design, is supposed to repre- 

 sent a house decorated with carvings, while te tohare-toto- 

 kaic represents a plain house. Takoreke, above mentioned, 

 was an ancestor of very remote times. He was the husband 

 of Hine-te-iwaiwa, of immortal fame, she who invented the 

 art of weaving, and who is looked upon as the mother and 

 patroness of the ancient whare yora, or school of weaving. 



Other designs in whai are : Te alii i tunua ai te manawa o 

 Nuku-tau-paroro , te ana o Karanga-hape or te ana i Taupo, te 

 whakahua horopito, pae kohu, te tutira o Maui, te rara matai 

 (represents a tree with branches), tu-nui-a-te-ika, te xohare 

 pora, komore, tami-a-roa, tamahine, mouti, wiwirau, whare- 

 puni, tonga-nui. 



This game of whai is said to have been invented by 

 Maui-pae, as well as the string game termed " pa-tokotoko." 

 The originator of tops is said to have been Maui-mua, while 

 the tekateka is ascribed to Maui-tikitiki. Hence it would 

 appear that the Maui family are well represented in the 

 whare taper e. 



Pa Tokotoko. 



This is another string game. It is played by two persons. 

 Each is provided with a piece of string with a loop at one 

 end — a running noose. It is held between the thumb and 

 forefinger of the right hand. The players make passes at 

 each other's hands, each endeavouring to snare or catch the 

 extended forefinger of his adversary in the loop of the string. 

 Each player has seated beside him, or her, a female com- 

 panion, termed the " ruahine." When a player succeeds in 

 snaring the finger of his opponent he quickly touches the 

 hand of the latter with his own, and then turns and touches 

 the hand of his own ruahine. This act transfers the ha 

 {strength or dexterity) of his opponent to his ruahine, who 

 really holds the skill or cleverness which he may display in 

 4 



