Best. — Maori, Eschatology. 



213 



The following is a charm used by the Ngati-Awa Tribe at 



such times : — 



Ka iri ki te whata 



O Hotu nuku, o Hotu rangi 



Hotu tapoa nuku, tapoa rangi 



Tu kai ure 



Kai ure te po nunui 



Kai ure te po roroa 



Hikitia mai te manawa o Tane 



Ara mai te mana o Tane 



Kopia mai te mana o Tane 



Ka ngau ki tua, ka ngau ki waho 



Toro hei ! 



The following is also from Ngati-Awa :— 



Ka iri lei te whata 



Hotu nuku, o Hotu roa 

 Hotu tatakina te mata o Tunui 

 Hotu tukua mai te rehu tai moana 

 Ka whanatutu rangi 

 Whakapua Tutara-kauika 



Te wehenga kauki 



Ka iri ki te tarana o Tane-i-te-kapua 



1 te kapua nui, i te kapua roa 

 I te kapua matotoru 



I te Tatau-o-Rangiriri 

 Turanga maomao 

 I tupu ki tua, tupu ki waho 

 Ka ea nga mahi, lea ora 

 Ora Id tupua, ora ki tawhito 

 Toro hei ! 



These exhumation ceremonies are still conducted among the 

 Tuhoe Tribe with considerable ritual. At one such which took 

 place in this *district a few years ago the proceedings lasted 

 for two Aveeks. This was on account of two children having 

 died at the village while the hahunga was in progress, which 

 prolonged the function. Then might be seen on one side of 

 the plaza a tangihanga, or weeping for the dead, in progress, 

 lamenting the dead with tears and wailing, while just across 

 the open square a number of Natives were enjoying themselves, 

 making merry with song and dance and shrieks of laughter. 



Persons of low birth were not allowed to take part in dis- 

 interring the bones of the chieftain class. Persons so engaged 

 cannot eat or drink until the tapu is taken off them. The 

 visiting peoples at these exhumation meetings bring presents, 

 termed " taonga kopaki " (see ante), for the relatives of the dead. 



Supposing that some Natives of another tribe, say Ngati- 

 Awa, were to die among the Tuhoe Tribe and were buried there, 

 when the proper time came Tuhoe would disinter the bones, and 

 a party of them would carry the bones to the homes of the dead 

 in the Ngati-Awa country. Those of the party who actually 



