Colenso. — Ancient Tide-lore. 421 



Here I may briefly state that this word or name of Parata 

 was also of great and ancient usage among the Maoris. The 

 first time we hear of it was as the name of a principal chief, 

 before the legendary period of their so-called migration hither 

 to New Zealand ; for thus it is stated in their legends : — 



" Soon they fought ; shortly after, peace was made ; then 

 they felled (the tree to build) the canoe ' Arawa,' this was done 

 by Parata, by Wahieroa, by Ngahue."* 



In the old myth of Maui transforming his brother-in-law 

 Irawaru into a dog, and the widow, his sister (Hinauri), becoming 

 distracted over the loss of her husband, she goes off to the 

 rocky cliffs at the seaside to commit suicide, and there utters her 

 mournful dying dirge, beginning thus : — 



" Ever lamenting ! — 

 Henceforth I (am) ever imploring 

 To the stealthy-onef of the ocean, 

 To the big Parata of the ocean, 

 To the huge monster of the ocean, 

 To the enormous whalej of the ocean, 



That (he) may come hither 



That Hina may be swallowed up." 



So saying, she threw herself into the sea. 



The word is also found in the ancient prayer or semi- 

 incantation used by the tohunga at their old cannibal orgies, 

 when initiating the young men and boys (chiefs' sons), in order 

 to their partaking of the flesh of their enemies slain in battle. 

 Thus it begins : — 



",This youth present gnaws, 

 This youth present strives, 

 This youth present eats, 

 This youth present eats man's flesh, 

 This youth present swallows parata :" 



which may mean "lords (of foes)," or " monsters," or "great 

 difficulties and dangers," (or all together,) overcoming them as 

 easily as " swallowing one's spittle" (a common Maori meta- 

 phor). The said long prayer or spell concludes thus : — 



" This youth shall soon eat, 

 This youth shall soon swallow man, 

 Shall eat to-day, 

 Shall eat to-morrow (hereafter), 

 Sufficient now (for the first time) this youth shall eat." 



* Grey's " Poetry of the New Zealanders ;" Korero-Apiti, p. viii 



t Or, steep precipices in ocean's depths. 



I Lit. Paikea, a large species of whale with a white belly, deeply 

 grooved longitudinally ; one was stranded on the beach near Napier about 

 1847 ; also a Maori name for a long house with the doorway in the end. 

 (See Note, " Trans. N.Z. Inst.," vol. xiv., p. 20.) 



