438 Transactions. — Miscdlaneous . 



The taiaha was also frequently carried by a Maori chief as 

 a staff, and was oftentimes vigorously flourished by way of 

 emphasizing and adding force to argument or accentuating 

 oratorical flourishes, on great occasions and during warm dis- 

 cussions. 



A book published by the New Zealand Government, con- 

 taining illustrations prepared for the unpublished volumes of 

 "White's " Ancient History of the Maori," has among these 

 some showing the different positions in which certain weapons 

 were held and wielded in single combat. One example is a 

 set-to with a mere •pounamu and buckler against a tao, or spear ; 

 a second shows two combatants, both armed with the taiaha ; 

 and a third where both use the tao, or spear. I cannot vouch 

 for the truthfulness of these representations from my own 

 knowledge, but I presume they were drawn from life and 

 should not be far wrong. 



In Maori tales and legends there are many descriptions of 

 encounters of heroes where the taiaha was the weapon chosen 

 to test the prowess of the braves who wielded it. The duel 

 between the famous Tama-te-Kapua and Euaeo, whose wife 

 the former had carried off from Hawaiki, is graphically de- 

 scribed in Sir George Grey's " Polynesian Mythology," at 

 page 92. It was fought with this weapon : — 



"Early in the morning Euaeo performed incantations, by 

 which he kept all the people in the canoe (the Arawa, which 

 had been hauled up on shore) in a profound sleep, and whilst 

 they still slept from his enchantments the sun rose and 

 mounted high up in the heavens. In the forenoon, Eua (who, 

 with his 140 men, crouched along under the bulwarks) gave 

 the canoe a heavy blow with his club. They all started up. 

 It was almost noon, and, when they looked down over the edge 

 of their canoe, there were the 140 men of Eua, sitting under 

 them, all beautifully dressed with feathers, as if they had 

 been living on the Gannet Island, in the channel of Karewa, 

 where feathers are so abundant. And when the crew of the 

 Arawa heard this, they all rushed upon deck, and saw 

 Eua standing in the midst of his 140 warriors. Then Eua 

 shouted out, as he stood, ' Come here, Tama-te-Kapua ! let us 

 two fight the battle — you and I alone. If you are stronger 

 than I am, well and good, let it be so. If I am stronger than 

 you are, I'll dash you to the earth.' 



" Up sprang then the hero, Tama-te-Kapua. He held a 

 carved two-handed sword {taiaha), a sword the handle (head) 

 of which was decked with red feathers. Eua held a similar 

 weapon. Tama first struck a fierce blow at Eua. Eua 

 parried it, and it glanced harmlessly off; then Eua threw 

 away his sword (taiaha) and seized both the arms of Taraa- 

 te-Kapua. He held his arms and his sword (taiaha), and 



