Best. — On Maori Games. 67 



This latter charm or spell is known as " tuaumu," and belongs 

 to the art of makutu, or witchcraft. 



The Game of Ruru. 



In this game five stones are used. They are round (potaka- 

 taka) and symmetrical ; often they were chipped into the 

 desired form by means of striking them with a piece of quartz, 

 as flakes are struck off a flint core. Old men often amused 

 themselves by making them, as well as other toys, &c, as 

 playthings for children, and even for elders, inasmuch as the 

 elderly people often entered into this and other games. Of 

 these stones one was marked and styled the " hai" ; it was 

 the principal one used for throwing, and was looked upon as 

 the leader of the game. The other four stones were termed 

 the " kai-mahi," or common ones. 



As many as ten players would sometimes take part in this 

 game. First the operator would take the five stones in his 

 right hand and throw them up ; then quickly reversing his 

 hand he would catch on the back of it as many as possible of 

 the descending stones. Some will thus be caught and some 

 will fall on the ground, where they are allowed to lie for the 

 present. The hai is then taken in the right hand and 

 thrown up. While it is in the air the player snatches up 

 one of the fallen stones with the right hand and, holding it, 

 catches the descending hai with the same hand. This is- 

 continued until all the fallen stones are picked up. This is 

 termed " takitahi." 



In the takirua the same process is gone through, save 

 that two of the stones are snatched up at once. 



In the takitoru, or third stage, it is the same process again, 

 but three stones must be snatched up before catching the hai. 



And in the takkvha four stones must be so snatched up. 

 The next stage in the game is termed " poipoi." In this a. 

 mark is made on the ground — a straight line — on either side 

 of which one stone is laid, these two and the hai being the 

 only ones used. The hai is taken in the right hand and 

 thrown up ; then with the same hand one of the stones by 

 the mark — the one on the right side — is taken and thrown up ; 

 then the descending hai is caught and thrown up again with 

 the right hand ; then the other descending stone is caught 

 with the left hand and thrown up again. The remaining 

 stone on the ground is thrown up by the left hand and caught 

 with the right, and so on. 



The next act is termed " koropu." A small circle is 

 marked on the ground, around the outside of which are ranged 

 the hai and three of the other stones. The hai is taken in 

 the right hand and thrown up, and before it descends the 

 same hand must move the other three stones into the centre- 



