202 Transactions. 



cannibal feasts. Even when a war-party was victorious they 

 often were compelled to burn their dead on account of the dif- 

 ficulty of carrying the bodies home. 



Those persons who died of hai-uaua (? consumption) were 

 cremated by the Ngati-Awa Tribe of the Bay of Plent}' district, 

 and the ashes buried, in order to prevent any other person being 

 affected by the disease. 



The Maori has a belief that the priests of former times held 

 wonderful powers. Observe the description of the wkakanoho 

 manawa rite, as given by the Tuhoe people, and included in the 

 late Dr. Goldie's paper on " Maori Medical Lore," in vol. xxxvii 

 of the " Transactions of the New Zealand Institute." 



The following incident was given to me by Himiona Tikitu, 

 of Ngati-Awa, as having occurred two generations ago : " There 

 was a large meeting of Te Awa-a-te-atua. All surrounding 

 peoples attended it. Tawharau, of Nga-maihi, was there. The 

 daughter of Rangi-takina saw him and deemed him handsome 

 above all other men. She strove to gain him as a husband. 

 He declined, saying, ' You are far above me in social position.' 

 However, the woman overcame his scruples. Then things be- 

 came interesting for Tawharau. Rangi-takaina and his people 

 objected to the union, and put an end to it by slaying poor 

 Tawharau. Nga-maihi heard of it. They went and dug up the 

 buried body to the recited charms of the priests. They bore 

 it to the Kupenga Fort (situated on the bank of the Rangi-taiki 

 River, at Te Teko). They deposited it at the tuahu (sacred 

 place where religious rites were performed). Then the priests 

 gathered to challenge or incite the spirit of the dead man to 

 turn and avenge the death of its body. Then the dead re- 

 turned to life for a brief space, the magic spells were worked, 

 the sptrit rose to its dread work. Then the body returned 

 to the clutches of death and was buried. Ere long Rangi- 

 takina and the other slayers of Tawharau were no more. The 

 body of Rangi was placed in a European goods-case used as 

 a coffin, and taken to Mount Edgecumbe for burial. People 

 gathered to drag the coffin up the steep side of the mountain. 

 Nga-maihi were there. One of the latter, Meremere by name, 

 rose to chaunt a time song for the hauling. It was a tau 

 ivaka : — 



Te hiwi 



Te raaunga e tu mai nei 



E tupa 



Hoi eke I 



E tupa 



Hoi eke ! 



Tupato 



Hoi eke ! &c. 



