SrAck.— Traditional History of the South Island Maoris. 71 
heard those who had seen Rakai tauwheke's house at Hataitai praising the 
workmanship of it, and, being jealous, said—‘‘ What is his house to my 
Kopapa, which will carry me along the backbone of Rongo rongo." These 
words coming to Rakai tauwheke's ears, were interpreted by him to mean a 
curse, and when Tapu afterwards came on a visit with some friends to 
Hataitai, Rakai tauwheke fell upon him and killed him, but spared all his 
companions, whom he allowed to return safely home. But dreading the 
vengeance of Tapu's tribe, the Ngai Tahu abandoned Hataitai, and crossed 
over the straits in a body to Moioio, an island in one of the sounds close to 
Kai hinu, where there was a mixed settlement of Ngaitara and Ngatimamoe. 
Here they lived peaceably with their neighbours for some time till their anger 
was aroused by the discovery that they had joined in eating the corrupted 
body of a Ngai Tahu man which they had found in the forest, where, 
unknown to his friends, he had died. This was considered a very gross 
insult, and was avenged in the following manner :—Someone was sent to 
fetch the leg and thigh-bones of Te ao Marere, a Ngaitara chief, whose 
remains had been lately discovered in a cave by some Ngai Tahu women 
when gathering flax on the slopes of Kaihinu. Out of these bones hooks 
were made, and when Ngaitara went out to fish a Ngai Tahu man, taking 
one of the hooks, went with them ; and when the fish greedily attacked the 
bait, and were drawn up to the surface in rapid succession, he said, in a 
tone to be heard and remarked, ** How the old man buried up there nips.” 
The words were noted, and it was agreed that they could only refer to the 
desecration of their chief's grave, and to set the question at rest a person 
was sent to examine it, when it was found that part of the skeleton had 
been removed. As the Ngaitara did not regard this as a justifiable act of 
retaliation for their haying eaten the body which they found, they determined 
therefore to avenge it. An opportunity of doing so was afforded to them 
shortly afterwards, when a party of Ngai Tahu women came as usual to 
the neighbourhood of Kai hinu to gather flax. While they were busily 
employed at their work, the Ngaitara attacked and killed the whole of 
them, amongst whom was the daughter of Puraho. This chief mourned 
sorely for his child and vowed to avenge her; but before he could do so, 
he was himself killed by the same people, who, feeling that they had 
ineurred the vengeance of Ngai Tahu, were resolved to follow up what they 
had done and to be the first in the field. Observing from the mainland, 
whieh was only a short way off, that Puraho and Manawa went every 
morning at dawn to perform certain offices of nature at a particular spot 
where they had dug two holes together for the purpose, it was arranged to 
plant an ambush near the spot to lie in wait for them. Aecordingly, during 
the night, two warriors were sent to secrete themselves in the holes, where, 
