384 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



a considerable height like a bird. Tangaroa-of-the-tattooed-face 

 was greatly delighted. Maui came down to the ground, and 

 urged his grandfather to imitate his example. ' Nothing,' said 

 Maui, ' is easier than to fly.' At his grandson's suggestion, 

 Tangaroa put on his glorious girdle, by mortals called the 

 rainbow, and, to his immense delight, succeeded in rising 

 above the loftiest cocoanut tree. The crafty Maui took care to 

 fly lower than Tangaroa, and getting hold of one end of the old 

 man's girdle, he gave it a smart pull, which brought down poor 

 Tangaroa from his giddy elevation. The fall killed Great 

 Tangaroa. 



"Pleased with his achievement in getting the secret of fire 

 from his grandfather, and then killing him, he returned to his 

 parents, who had both descended to nether-land. Maui told 

 them that he had got the secret of fire, but withheld the 

 important circumstance that he had killed Tangaroa. His 

 parents expressed their joy at his success, and intimated their 

 desire to go and pay their respects to the supreme Tangaroa. 

 Maui objected to their going at once. ' Go,' said he, ' on the 

 third day. I wish to go myself to-morrow.' The parents of 

 Maui acquiesced in this arrangement. Accordingly, on the 

 next day, Maui went to the abode of Tangaroa, and found the 

 body entirely decomposed. He carefully collected the bones, 

 put them inside a cocoanut shell, carefully closed the tiny 

 aperture, and finally gave them a thorough shaking. Upon 

 opening the cocoanut shell, he found his grandfather to be alive 

 again. Liberating the divinity from his degrading imprison- 

 ment, he carefully washed him, anointed him with sweet- 

 smelling oil, fed him, and then left him to recover strength in 

 his own dwelling. Maui now returned to his parents, M :nua- 

 hifare and Tongoifare, and found them very urgent to see 

 Tangaroa. Again, Maui said, ' Wait till to-morrow.' The fact 

 was, he greatly feared their displeasure, and had secretly 

 resolved to make his way back to the upper world he had 

 formerly inhabited, whilst his parents were on their visit to 

 Tangaroa. Upon visiting the god on the morning of the third 

 day, Manuahifare and Tongoifare were greatly shocked to find 

 that he had entirely lost his old proud bearing, and that on his 

 face were the marks of severe treatment. Manuahifare asked 

 his father Tangaroa the cause of this. ' Oh,' said the god, 'your 

 terrible boy has been here ill-treating me. He killed me ; then 

 collected my bones and rattled them about in an empty cocoanut 

 shell ; he then finally made mc live again, scarred and enfeebled, 

 as you see. Alas ! that fierce son of yours.' The parents of 

 Maui wept at this, and forthwith came back to the old place in 

 Avaiki in quest of their son, intending to scold him well. But 

 he had made his escape to the upper world, where he found his 

 two brothers and his sister Inaika in mourning for him, whom 



