440 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



Hineitekakara. As he was about to do so his brother rushed 

 upon hnn, and in a moment his head was struck off and he lay 

 a corpse. 



In Judge Maning's book, "' Old New Zealand," the author 

 tells us of an old warrior who was a great adept in handling 

 the tao, his favourite weapon : " In the hot days of summer, 

 when his blood, I suppose, got a little warm, he would some- 

 times become talkative, and recount the exploits of his youth. 

 As he warmed to his subject he would seize his spear {tao), 

 and go through all the incidents of some famous combat, 

 repeating every thrust, blow, and parry as they actually 

 occurred, and going through as much exertion as if he was 

 really and truly fighting for his life. He used to go through 

 these pantomimic labours as a duty whenever he had an as- 

 semblage of the young men of the tribe around him, to whom, 

 as well as to myself, he was most anxious to communicate 

 that which he considered the most valuable of all knowledge 

 — a correct idea of the uses of the spear, a weapon he really 

 used in a most graceful and scientific manner ; but he would 

 ignore the fact that ' Young New Zealand ' had laid down 

 the weapon for ever, and already matured a new system of 

 warfare adapted to their new weapons, and only listened to 

 his lectures out of respect to himself and not for his science." 



The tao was the weapon most frequently used in the duels, 

 which were often the outcome of a private quarrel, and in the 

 taua, or small armed parties which would visit an individual 

 or settlement to demand and obtain satisfaction for some 

 affront or injury, as, for example, the abduction of a woman, 

 a kanga, or curse, &c. Fierce encounters often took place 

 on such occasions, but were seldom attended with fatalities. 

 Generally both parties used tao (spears). Only flesh-wounds 

 were inflicted, and, as Judge Maning says, " No more blood 

 was drawn than could well be spared." 



In the case of a quarrel between two individuals, a chal- 

 lenge would often be given and accepted in the same terms. 

 " To taua ata !" (" We meet in the morning ") was replied to 

 in the same words — " To taua ata ! " (" We meet in the morn- 

 ing"). In the early morning, accordingly, the principals, in 

 appropriate costume, with spears in their hands, would meet 

 and try conclusions with one another in the presence of their 

 relatives and friends, who would attend to see fair play ; 

 but it was generally understood that a mortal thrust was not 

 to be given, and a flesh-wound received by either combatant 

 would terminate the aflair. 



In Eutherford's account of an engagement which he wit- 

 nessed ho says that one of the fugitives of the beaten party, 

 in passing him, threw a short jagged spear, which punctured 

 his thigh and had to be cut out with a shell, leaving a wound 



