Best. — Maori Eschatology. 173 



Their object is to kawe te mate (convey the death) to other divi- 

 sions of the tribe, to the more distant relatives of the deceased. 

 When they arrive at a village the party will go through the 

 same weeping and lamentation as already described. The 

 speeches also are of a similar nature. Should any member of 

 the people visited have died recently, then he will be included 

 in the tangihanga, 01 mourning ; in fact, such weeping, mourning, 

 and speeches will apply to all persons of the two parties who 

 have died since such parties last met to mourn for their dead. 



One occasionally hears of very singular customs connected 

 with mourning for the dead. I insert here descriptions of a few 

 such. 



After the defeat of the east coast Natives at Maketu, the 

 following lament was composed as a ivhakaoriori potaka (song 

 sung to the spinning of tops). The people would collect together, 

 many of them being provided with humming-tops of the old 

 Maori pattern. The people would sing the first verse and then 

 all cry out the words " Hai ! Tukua ! " The last word was the 

 signal to the top-spinners, who simultaneously started their 

 tops spinning. The moaning or wailing hum of the tops repre- 

 sents the moaning sound made by mourners for the dead. When 

 the tops are run down they are restrung, and another verse 

 of the lament is sung, the top-spinners waiting for the cry 

 " Tukua ! " before starting their tops off again. I have seen 

 a party of Natives going through this singular performance. \\ | 



Kuniea ! 



Toia te roroa o te tangata — e 

 Ina noa te poto ki te oma i Hunuhunu — e 

 Hai ! Tukua ! 



Nga morehu ma te kai e patu — e 

 Ko te paku kai ra mau, E Te Arawa — e 

 Hai ! Tukua ! 



(3.) 



E ki atu ana Karanama, e noko ki tamaiti nei — e 

 Takiri ana niai te upoko o te toa — e 

 Hai ! Tukua ! 



(4.) 

 Koro Mokena, huri mai ki te Kuini — e 

 Koi rawerawe ana ou mea kanu kaka — e 

 Hai ! Tukua ! 



(5.) 



Na Tamehana ano tona whenua i utu 

 Ki te maramara taro — e 

 Waiho te raru lei to wahine — e 

 Hai ! Tukua ! 



