TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION G. 381 



the young chief Tutauekai, who hved on an island in the 

 lake, fell in love with each other ; how for a long time each 

 suffered from the secret fear that the other might not share 

 the affection felt. It describes the joy which followed the dis- 

 covery that it was mutual, and the precautions taken by the 

 young lady's friends to prevent her escape. It tells how the 

 youth nightly serenaded his lady-love from a tower on his 

 island-home, and how the sounds of his flute borne over the 

 v?ater so affected her that she could not endure separation 

 from him, and on a dark night, guided by the sound of her 

 lover's flute, she swam across to Mokoia. At the spot where 

 Hinemoa landed was a hot spring. She got into it to warm 

 herself, for she was trembling all over, partly from the cold 

 after swimming across the lake, and partly from modesty at 

 the thought of meeting Tutanekai. Whilst warming herself a 

 slave came close to her to draw water from the lake. The 

 maiden, who was very frightened, called out in an assumed 

 voice, "Whom is that water for?" " Tutanekai," was the 

 reply. This was a good omen for her, and she bethought her- 

 self of a device to bring her lover to her side. Calling to the 

 servant, she said, " Give me a drink." When the calabash 

 was handed to her she purposely let it fall on a rock, and broke 

 it. The servant returned for another, but he had no sooner 

 filled it than she again asked for a drink, and when the cala- 

 bash was handed to her she dropped it on the rock, and broke it. 

 This was repeated several times. The slave thought it best to 

 report the matter to his master, who on hearing what had hap- 

 pened seized a weapon and hurried down to the bath,w"here he 

 shouted, " Where is that fellow wdio broke my calabashes? " 



The charming simplicity and naturalness with which the 

 conflicting feelings of modesty and love surging in the maiden's 

 bosom are described in this concluding part of the story in- 

 vest it w^th singular beauty. There is an entire absence of 

 anything indelicate, or calculated to wound in the slightest 

 degree the susceptibilities of the most sensitive and refined. 

 Hinemoa (says the story) knew the voice ; the sound of it 

 was that of the beloved of her heart ; and she hid herself under 

 the overhanging rocks of the hot spring. But her hiding was 

 hardly a real hiding, but rather a bashful concealing of herself 

 from Tutanekai. He went feeling about along the banks of 

 the hot spring, searching everywhere, while she coyly hid 

 under the ledges of the rock, peeping out, wondering when 

 she would be found. At last he caught hold of her hand, and 

 cried out, "Ah ! who is this?" And Hinemoa answered, "It 

 is I, Tutanekai." But he said, "But who are you? Who 

 is * I'?" " It is I ; it is Hinemoa." And he said, " Ho ! ho ! 

 ho ! Can such, in very truth, be the case ! " And she answered, 

 " Yes." And 



