Best.— Maori Eschatology. 187 



the litter by the wayside, near Te Whakatakanga-o-Te-Piki. 

 and again rested. At both these resting-places where a person 

 with the tapu of death upon him had lain a carved post or small 

 pillar was set up to mark the spot, which remains tapu. Not 

 only did these posts mark tapu spots, but they also served the 

 purpose of a tuapa, and as a warning to passers-by not to tres- 

 pass on the place. The post at the second resting-place was 

 destroyed (burned) by the Native Contingent during Whit- 

 more's raid on Tuhoeland, but the first one still stands, as I 

 myself have seen. It is known as " Te Pou o Te Puehu " (the 

 pillar of Te Puehu). These carved posts were usually sheltered 

 by having a roof built over them, which would occasionally 

 be renewed. The posts would also be smeared with red ochre. 

 This Pou o Te Puehu was, for years after its erection, adorned 

 by the Natives, who hung thereon any bright-coloured articles 

 obtained from the coast tribes by barter, such as handkerchiefs, 

 pieces of figured prints, &c. In like manner any tree where 

 the severed umbilical cords of infants were deposited in former 

 times was similarly adorned. This sort of thing would, pre- 

 sumably, be described as a fetish by travellers, and possibly 

 as an evidence of tree-worship. 



In regard to the tuapa : This name is applied to a post or slab 

 oi wood which had been hewn out of a log with an adze and was 

 erected at the place where a person of rank had died, or in some 

 cases where or near where he was buried. In some cases it 

 seems to have been set up at or near the village where the person 

 died. It would be erected after the burial. This slab seems 

 to have in some way represented the ivairua (spirit) of the de- 

 ceased. The object was to lay the ghost of the dead person, 

 to prevent his spirit from returning to afflict the living. Such 

 a spirit of the dead is termed a " kehua" or " kikokiko" or 

 " wliakahaehaer Among the Tuhoe Tribe the first and last .of 

 these terms is applied to a ghost (spirit of the dead) as a ghost, 

 but hihokiho is applied to those spirits of the dead that afflict 

 the living, and are said to often cause death. 



Certain rites were performed by a priest over these tuapa * 

 in order to prevent the spirits' return to afflict people, or crops, 

 or other food products. The priest recites an incantation 

 with this object. He then repeats the karakia (spell, charm, 

 invocation, incantation) termed " ahi," at the same time rub- 

 bing a stick upon the ground as if generating fire, but he really 

 kindles no fire. Thus are the evil designs of the wairua, or 

 spirit, abolished or rendered innocuous. To give force, power, 



i* The general meaning of this word i.s, " something that obstructs, 

 wards off. prevents contact with." 1 It is also used as a verb. 



