Best. — On Maori Magic. SI 



to forsake their lands and migrate to pastures new. It is an 

 easy way of disposing of objectionable people. 



The ka-mahunu is a rite performed in order to render an 

 evil person ashamed of his ways — to cause his conscience to 

 prick him, in fact. This is probably one of the highest points 

 to which Maori ethics reached. 



The wero ngercngcre is an incantation to cause a person to 

 be attacked by leprosy. It is a Taupo product, and used to 

 be practised there. 



Tu-matapongia is a spell to cause a person to become in- 

 visible to others. It is useful when being pursued by an enemy. 



The papaki is a spell to destroy or render demented a 

 woman who will not consent to marry a man who desires her. 

 There are many charms and magic rites in connection with 

 birth, love, marriage, conception, divorce, &c, which would 

 occupy too much space here. 



The hau-o-puanui is a wind raised by magic in order to 

 accelerate a person's speed in travelling, or the return of a 

 truant wife, &c. 



The ivhakamania is to pass disparaging remarks about a 

 person to his face, not behind his back, to which latter the 

 terms " kohimu," " ngau tuara," " rae onecne," &c, are 

 applied. The term " ivhakamanioro " is similar in meaning 

 to " ivhakamania." These disparaging remarks, when uttered 

 by a person of importance, are looked upon as being ominous 

 of evil. When the sons of Tuwharetoa, of Kawerau, wished 

 to go a slaying their aboriginal neighbours their father ob- 

 jected, and told them to wait until the tapu was lifted from 

 his crops. However, the sons persisted, which angered the 

 old gentleman. He said to them, " Haere i a tukunoa, i a 

 heke voa, e popo, e anea, man ka oti atu, oti atu," which was 

 equivalent to telling them that they could go to the deuce and 

 end in Hades. So fell they in the fight of Kaka-tarae. 



The umu-pururangi is a rite and incantation used to 

 destroy life. When the two wives of Uenuku-koihu quarrelled 

 one slew the other by means of this magic rite, which I refrain 

 from publishing, for obvious reasons. 



The puru-rangi is an incantation used to block up the 

 flood-gates of the heavens, in order to make the rain and wind 

 cease and bring fine weather. It is an extremely useful 

 charm to have in camp. When winds become too boisterous 

 to be pleasant the first invocation or spell repeated was the 

 tokotoko, which was to cause the wind to betake itself to other 

 parts. After that the puru-rangi was recited : — 



Tokona nga hau 

 Tokona ki waho 

 Tokona nga hau 

 Tokona ki uta 



He rangi kia purupurua, &c. 

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