Best. — Maori Eschatology. 221 



known their whereabouts. The bones of a murdered man were 

 collected bv a priest, who placed them in a heap before him. 

 He would then proceed to whakatara the same — that is, to recite 

 an incantation over them to cause them to give a sign to show 

 whether or not the death would be avenged. A singular kind 

 of divination this ! Should the bones move of their own accord 

 as they lay before the priest, that was deemed a tohu toa, a token 

 of victory — the death would be avenged. 



We have seen that lands were rahuitia, or placed under tapu, 

 sometimes at the death of a chief. The same thing was done 

 in regard to rivers, streams, and lakes. When Matiu's sons 

 died, the Okahu Stream at Te Whaiti was put under tapu, as 

 also were the Ngaputahi lands. Hence no fish, birds, or vege- 

 table foods could be taken therefrom until the tapu was lifted. 



In the case of an important chief or priest his tapu would be 

 intense. At his death his son, or whoever prepared him for 

 burial, would have to be extremely careful in his speech and 

 actions. Any error made would cause his death — e.g., a mistake 

 made in repeating a charm or invocation. Persons so deeply 

 tapu could not touch food with their hands, and had to be fed 

 by another person, or gnaw at the food on the ground, as a 

 dog would. 



A special person, termed a tahuahi, was often employed by 

 priests to kindle sacred fires and ovens for them. 



For the bones of their dead to fall into the hands of enemies 

 was a dreadful thing to the Maori, for that enemy would heap 

 every indignity on such. Drinking-vessels were formed from 

 skulls. In one such case in this district a man obtained an 

 enemy's skull and grew in it a taro as food for his child. 



Infringements of tapu were sometimes punished by a party 

 of the tribe, often of near relatives of the transgressors, coming 

 and forcibly seizing and carrying away the portable property 

 of the latter, as food, &c. 



When old Hakopa, of Te Umu-roa, died, which was on the 

 14th November, 1900, we did not hear of the death at my camp 

 until the next day. But on the afternoon of the 14th my near 

 neighbours, an old Maori couple, living 200 yards from my camp, 

 came to my tent and asked me what I had called out for. On 

 my replying that I had not called them they retired. Next 

 day they came up and said, " We have just heard that Hakopa 

 has died. Now, it was his wairua (spirit) that we heard calling 

 out yesterday, and thought that it was you calling. Spirits of 

 those recently dead often do these things." When Natives are 

 annoyed by such a spirit of the dead they proceed to banish 

 it by cooking a potato, carrying it round the hut, and then eat- 

 ing it. Even the smoking of a pipe may have the desired effect. 



