DowNEs. — Early History of Rangitikei. 77 



down-stream past Tutae-poropcro's lair, and as soon as the ianiwha saw 

 him he rushed out and swallowed both box and Ao-kehu. Thereupon Ao- 

 kehu got out of his box, slashed about with his weapons, cut a way out 

 for himself, and so obtained glory and renowji for ever. 



To Hau, one of the immigrants in the Aotea canoe (1350), is credited 

 the honour of giving names to the various places along this coast, as em- 

 bodied in a very old song, a translation of part of which is as follows : — 



Then Hau, taking soil of the land in one hand, 



Together with the staff of Turo;. 



(Went forth on his journey giving names). 



First he crossed the river, and from its size called it Whanga-nui (great harbour) ; 



Then next he dipped up water, and called it Whanga-ehu (harbour of spray) ; 



Again, he felled a tree to cross, and named it Tuirakina (throw it down) ; 



Beyond, with long stride, he reached, and named Rangi-tikei (walking with 



long strides) ; 

 The next, with doubts as to his power of crossing, he called Manawa-tu (standing 



heart) ; 

 Then a whistling wind in his ears gave rise to Hokio. 

 And the ancient Awa-iti he named after himself. Ohau. 

 Speechmaking to his followers took place at Otaki. 

 Etc., etc. — Translation by S. Percy Smith. 



Tamatea is said to have been the captain of the Takitumu canoe ; andL 

 his journey (according to Utiku Potaka) was somewhat as follows : — 



Tamatea was the first person to travel inland from this district. Kfe 

 came from Here-taunga (Hastings), and went first of all to Te Papa-a.- 

 Tari-nuku, his son Kahu-ngunu (from whom sprang the Ngati Kahu-ngunit 

 Tribe) accompanying him. Here Tari-nuku gave Tamatea a gift of food. 

 at which his son was very angry, seeing a gift for his father but none for 

 himself, so he left Tamatea and went back to Here-taunga alone. Whers- 

 Tamatea arrived at Puke-o-kahu (a hill north-east of Taihape, about fifteem 

 miles distant) he put a lizard there, and then went on till he came to the^ 

 waterfall Te Pounga, on the Moa-whango. Here he put some brands from 

 his fire into the waterfall, and it is still called " The Firebrands of Tamatea.'^ 

 Then he journeyed on to Tiki-rere, which drops as a waterfall into the.- 

 Moa-whango, and there he placed a crayfish. Next he came to Whaka— 

 tara, at Motu-kawa (a hill midway between Tu-ranga-rere and Taihapfr^ 

 about two miles to the east of the road), and there he placed another 

 lizard. Then on he went to Te Whaka-ua, on the south-west portion of the 

 Awa-rua Block, where there is a ridge which he called, after himself, ", The 

 Jawbone of Tamatea." Another place he called Harakeke-a-Tamatea- 

 (Tamatea's flax). Formerly when strangers went to that place (Whaka- 

 ua) it would rain, but now these things have changed, and the stranger 

 may come or may go without being so heralded. 



There was a stone here that had some connection or understanding 

 with the heavens above, for whenever the Natives journeyed past that 

 place, it was their custom (called uruuru-whemia) to break a small brancL 

 from the forest and throw it on the stone as an offering to secure them 

 from hail and rain on their journey. The writer has been told of a similar 

 place on the Kau-ara-paoa (Whanga-nui River) ; but at this place the: 

 Native gods still hold power, for on the two occasions when curiosity has 

 led to the spot, a thunderstorm has quickly driven the curious to a place- 

 of refuge and shelter. 



From that place he went on to Whaka-tara (about eight miles from 

 Turakina up the river), at Turakina, Avhere there is a tannvha, and then: 



