131 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



known powers of magic, for he was a noted tohunga (priest, 

 warlock, magician, shaman), and was high priest of the famous 

 pouahu, or sacred place, at Whakatane. Tama heard of the 

 above project, and declined to be left behind. He also managed 

 to give his fellow-voyagers a fright. He bored a hole in the 

 bottom of the canoe, and when they had lost sight of land pulled 

 out the plug with which he had stopped the hole. The water 

 flowed in until the crew became alarmed, nor could they find the 

 baler until Tama, who had concealed it, produced it. He had 

 also caused the wind and sea to rise by means of his magic rites 

 (ka hikaia te hau, me te kino o te moana). 



So the famed " Aratawhao " sailed forth from Whakatane 

 upon the sea of Toi, and headed for the far-away isles of Poly- 

 nesia. And this was the act which caused such an important 

 change in the lives and domestic economy of the old-time people 

 of New Zealand. For by the acquisition of the kumara they 

 became an agricultural people, and by their voyage to Hawaiki 

 they were the cause of the famous historic fleet of " Te Arawa," 

 " Tainui," ' Matatua," ; ' Aotea," &c, coming to New Zealand. 

 Had these people known that ere long they would lose their 

 old-time power and prestige through the coming of a more 

 energetic class of Polynesians, it is probable that Taukata and 

 Hoaki would have met with a different reception than that 

 accorded them, and that the title of ' Wood-eaters " would 

 have been applicable to the descendants of Toi for many more 

 years. 



But these old Vikings wot not of the buffc tings which fate 

 held in store for them, so sailed they across the great ocean to 

 home of their visitors. Still does the voyage of " Te Arata- 

 whao " live in song and story among the descendants of Toi, the 

 Wood-eater, and still they recite the tales of daring deeds per- 

 formed by their ancestors in the days of the long ago. 



After the long voyage across the Great Ocean of Kiwa, the 

 " Aratawhao," battered and worn from her long cruise, arrived 

 at Hawaiki. the home of Kongoatau, father of Taukata and Hoaki. 

 who lived at Te Whakao. 



On arriving al Hawaiki, Hoaki visited one Maru-tai-ranga- 

 ranga, a chief of those parts, who greeted him with the following 

 song : — 



E hika ! E Ink;. ! 



K.i uea i." i runga te ata ura 



Ki runga te ata mea 



Maku c ki atu, pikitia e koo 



! runga te ngaru mii 



I runga *>■ ngaru roa 



Waerea e koe i fcai 



K ■ pupuke i runga o te Moana nui a Kiwa 



E takoto uei 



