Best. — Maori Eschatology. 223 



to say, he had arrived at the age when the body becomes very 

 weak, and he then died.") 



When Whitmore's column were marching on Rua-tahuna 

 they attacked the Harema pa at Te Whaiti, slaying some of the 

 inhabitants. Hence the place became tapu — not only the fort, 

 but also the surrounding lands — on account of the blood shed 

 there. Shortly afterwards some of the Ngati-Hine-kura clan 

 settled on those lands, but were turned off by Ngati-Tawhaki 

 because the tapu was still new. ' Kaore e tika kia noho he 

 tangata hi kona, engari kia mataotao nga mate'''' ("It was not 

 right that people should live there until the deaths ' cooled.' "). 



Besides natural decay the Maori recognised three modes of 

 death — mate atua, or death caused by the gods (deaths by 

 witchcraft (makutu) may also be placed under the above head- 

 ing, for reasons already quoted) ; mate taua, or death on the 

 battle-field, is a third class ; while accidental deaths and suicide 

 may be called a fourth. 



Many curious notes pertaining to death may be found in 

 my Tuhoe notes included in the late Dr. Goldie's paper on 

 " Maori Medical Lore," in the " Transactions of the New Zealand 

 Institute," vol. xxxvii, as also in vol. xiv of the " Journal of 

 the Polynesian Society." 



il Nga taru o Tura " (the weeds of Tura) is a term applied 

 to grey hairs (of genus homo). The singular story of Tura and 

 the coming of death may be found in vol. ii of White's " Ancient 

 History of the Maori." I have never obtained any version of 

 this peculiar legend from the Tuhoe Tribe. As also the wai ora 

 a Tane (the life- or health-giving waters of Tane) I leave for 

 other pens to describe, my Tuhoean notes on the subject being 

 meagre. Suffice it to say that the moon bathes in those waters 

 of life each month, and so renews her life. Maui desired that 

 man should do the same. Tane, the ubiquitous, appears under 

 many names, as parent, origin, or tutelary deity. &c, of trees, 

 birds, &c. Some Natives speak of Tane-te-wai-ora being a 

 separate person, but it seems probable that there was but one 

 Tane, who, however, assumed many functions under different 

 names, like unto the god Merodach, of Babylonia. 



Under the term " ahi parapara " we find some very curious 

 rites and charms or invocations. The expression " parapara " 

 is applied to many things — as remnants of clothing of the dead, 

 the spittle of a living person, &c. — but always, I believe, bearing 

 or implying the sense or state of tapu. Two of these rites were 

 known as " ahi tute " and " ahi rokia." They were utilised to 

 whakanoa. or make common (to remove tapu, to purify), as, for 

 instance, persons who had become tapu through touching or 

 handling something belonging to the dead. Observe the terms 



