Best. — Maori Eschatology. 163 



thereof. So prized was this article of food that it was reserved 

 for the chiefs. Hence it was termed a chief's death-food. 



When Mura-kareke, a famous ancestor of the Tuhoe Tribe, 

 came to his death-bed at Raorao-totara, a dog was killed, that 

 its flesh might be utilised as an o matenga for him. 



The flesh of the frugivorous native rat was also a much 

 esteemed article of food, and often used for the above purpose. 



Regarding the Native habit of changing personal names when 

 any important event occurred, this often takes place when a 

 person dies. In many cases such new name is taken from the 

 o matenga, or last food partaken of by the invalid. The last 

 thing so eaten by a person at Te Waimana was an orange, or 

 " arani " in Native pronunciation. Hence a relative gave his 

 newly born child the name of Te O-arani — i.e., the orange 

 o matenga. or the orange journey-food. Hatata. an old man 

 of Rua-tahuna, recently assumed the name of Kuku because 

 Ins grandchild ate some kuku (mussels) just before death. 



A person at Rotorua partook of some ti-ta-whiti (a species 

 of Cordyline) as a last food, therefore a relative assumed the name 

 of Te O-ti. In another case, at Ruatoki, the final thing taken 

 by the sufferer was a cup of tea (" ti " in Native pronunciation), 

 hence a related child was given the name of Te O-ti. In some 

 cases the last thing taken is a dose of medicine, or some stimu- 

 lant. Hence the local names of Pua-wananga ( = clematis ; a 

 medicine concocted from this was the last thing swallowed by a 

 relative) ; Te O-parani (p arani = brandy) ; and many others, 

 too numerous to mention. These last three cases, however, 

 should come under the heading of the ivai o Tane-pi. 



" A person is near death ; he has ceased to partake of food, 

 but can still take fluids. When he nears his end the sick one 

 says, ' Give me some water.' That is the wax o Tane-pi, the 

 last drink on his road to the realm of darkness." This expres- 

 sion, '• the water of Tane-pi," is applied to tbe last drink taken 

 by a dying person. It is a liquid o matenga. The term " wai 

 o Tane-pi " is applicable to death. It was just cold water, the 

 only beverage of the Maori in pre-European days. 



When a man was near death he might say. " that I might 

 drink of the waters of [such a stream] ! " and that water would 

 be obtained for him, that he might drink thereof ere he passed 

 away. 



When Te Maitaranui (of Tuhoe) and Te Roro (of Ngati- 

 Manawa) were slain at Te Reinga such an incident occurred. 

 Te Roro fled, but was pursued and caught. Seeing that his end 

 had come, he said to his captors, " Taihoa ahau e patu, kia inu 

 ahau i te wai o Kai-tarahae" ("Do not slay me until I have drunk 

 of the waters of Kai-tarahae"). Kai-tarahae is the name of a 



