TBANSACTIONS OF SECTION G. 383 



pated. Pretending to search for his servant, that he might 

 administer a beating for his prolonged absence, Te Ponga 

 followed the maiden. He had no knowledge of the path to 

 the spring; but, directed by the voice of the maiden, who 

 tripped along singing merrily, he reached the fountain just as 

 she was dipping her calabash into it. Hearing footsteps behind 

 her, Puhihuia turned quickly round, and there stood Te Ponga 

 himself. She was too startled and astonished to speak for 

 some moments, and when she recovered herself she asked, 

 "What can have brought you here?" "I came," he said, 

 " for a draught of water." But the girl replied, " Indeed ! did 

 I not come here to draw water for you? Wh)^ then, did you 

 not stay at ray father's house until I brought the water to 

 you?" Then Te Ponga answered, "O maiden! you — you are 

 the water that I thirst for." This confession led to a mutual 

 exchange of vows. But they felt that, in consequence of late 

 hostilities between their respective tribes, it would be useless 

 to make their intentions publicly known. It was arranged 

 between them that Puhihuia should elope with Te Ponga on 

 his return. To prevent pursuit, Te Ponga ordered his followers 

 to secretly disable all the war-canoes belonging to their hosts 

 by cutting the lashings of the topsides. On the morning the 

 visitors took their departure Puhihuia left the pa with a 

 number of her female companions, and wandered along the 

 path the visitors were returning by ; and, as they came up, 

 she began joking and laughing with them. Her father, 

 seeing his daughter and her companions going so far, 

 called out, ''Children, come back Iiere." All but the chief's 

 daughter at once turned back ; but she had only one thought 

 in her heart — how to escape with her beloved. Gliding behind 

 some large scoria rocks, which hid her movements from the 

 fortress, she redoubled her speed. Te Ponga, seeing her run- 

 ning in this hurried manner, called aloud to his men to follow. 

 Then began a swift flight indeed — of Te Ponga, and his warriors, 

 and the young girl. Rapidly they Hew, like feathers drifting 

 before the gale, or as runs the weka which has broken loose from 

 the fowler's snare. When the chief of Maungawhau saw that 

 his daughter would be lost, he called upon bis people to pursue 

 her. There w\as a wild rushing to and fro for weapons, which 

 delayed the pursuers, who reached the beach at Manukau just 

 as Te Ponga had embarked with the maiden in his war-canoe. 

 His men dashed their paddles into the water, and shot away 

 swift as a dart from a sling ; and, like Lord Ulliu, the father 

 of Puhihuia \vas left on the shore lamenting. 



Besides these tales of love of which I have just given speci- 

 mens, there are many fairy tales, and tales of magic and 

 sorcery — tales of monsters that dwelt in deep pools, and in 

 caves and forests. 



