TRAILS ROUND TUTIRA LAKE 77 



turn put aside the calabash, but forwarded Hunuhunu to Puhirua, 

 the chief of Pakowhai, who in his turn again sent him on to Tuakiaki 

 at Te Reinga. In presence of Tuakiaki and his people, once again 

 Hunuhunu presented the fateful calabash with all its conditional impli- 

 cations. It was accepted, Tuakiaki distributing its contents to each 

 of the other chiefs to whom Hunuhunu had previously addressed 

 himself. 



The Tutira emissary was bidden, moreover, return to his home with 

 the message that Tuakiaki would obtain satisfaction for the attack upon 

 Tauranga-koau, that vengeance would be taken on Te Mautaranui. 

 Tuakiaki's method was simplicity itself: he gathered together huge 

 supplies of pig, potatoes, and other delicacies, depositing the food at a 

 place called Te Papuni. Te Mautaranui was invited. He came. There 

 was a great feast, at the conclusion of which Tuakiaki pulled out a 

 patu concealed beneath his mat, and with it there and then slew Te 

 Mautaranui ; again to quote the ballad of " Fhairshon," " drew his skian- 

 du and stuck it in his powels." 



The chiefs visited by Hunuhunu had in fact agreed that it would 

 be wise policy for them to remove Te Mautaranui and so get rid of the 

 cause of offence, as Te Hata put it, in the language of the New Testa- 

 ment, it was expedient that one man should die for many. Had the 

 Ngai-Tatara been permitted to send their raiding party through the 

 district, one or other of the tribes through whose territory the taua 

 would pass was certain to have suffered. 



After Te Mautaranui had been killed, his body was cooked by a 

 method of grilling, the dripping being caught in a miniature vessel 

 shaped in the form of a canoe. Nothing was wasted. The more 

 savoury parts with the tongue on top were placed in the self-same 

 calabash that Hunuhunu had carried from Tutira, and over them the 

 fat was poured. Finally, the mouth of the calabash was covered 

 with skin saved for that purpose from the elegantly tattooed buttocks 

 of the slain chieftain. The calabash was then carried to Tutira 

 by Tuakiaki's people, together with a bundle of Te Mautaranui's bones 

 to be used as fish-hooks : this was a very terrible indignity the 

 bones, it was emphasised to me, from time to time crinkling and creak- 

 ing in their rage and remonstrance, " for it is in that manner that the 

 spirits of the departed speak." 



Thus was utu obtained for the mishap at Tauranga-koau, for Te 



