CoLenso.—0On a better Knowledge of the Maori Race. 95 
are never once heard of; their relations are continually enquiring, ““ Have 
they arrived at the place to which they went?” but there is no response ; 
therefore they are dead. Hence it follows that the sad thought arises 
within, were they killed by some monster? or, by some travelling man like 
themselves? or, by some armed marauding party of the enemy ? 
But the chief of Tikitapu and of Okareka, whose name was Tangaroa- 
mihi, knew very well all along that there was a monstrous beast at Tikitapu, 
although he did not know that the beast there residing ate up men; the 
chief always believed that it dwelt quietly, for it assumed the very air of 
peace and quietness whenever the chief and his men went to the spot where 
it dwelt to give it food; and that beast also knew very well all its feeders, and 
all those who used it tenderly and kindly. Nevertheless, when they had 
returned from feeding it to their village, and any other persons appeared 
there going by that way, then that monster came down and pursued those 
persons and devoured them as food. 
Now the manner of acting of this ugly beast was very much like that of 
a (bad) dog which has to be tied to a stick (or clog). For its knowledge of 
its own masters was great; whenever its master, Tangaroamihi, went there 
to see it, its demeanour was wholly quiet and tractable, but when people 
belonging to another and strange tribe went along by that road, then it arose 
to bark and growl at them; so that, what with the loud and fearful noise of 
its mouth, and the sharp rattlings of its rings and leg-circlets, great fear 
came upon them, and then he fell on them and ate them up. 
Now when the multitude everywhere heard of the great valour of those 
men, the tribes all greatly extolled them, and wondered exceedingly at the 
prodigious powers of those four chiefs. 
Then it was that the chiefs of Rotokakahi, of Tarawera, of Okataina, 
and of Rotorua began to understand the matter, and to say, “Oh! there is 
perhaps a monster also dwelling in the road to Tikitapu, because the travel- 
ling parties going from those parts to Rotorua, as well as those coming from 
Rotorua to these five lakes, are never heard of.” For when the travellers 
went to Rotorua by the road of Okareka they safely arrived thither; and 
so when they returned by that same way of Okareka they reached their 
homes in safety ;—but if the travellers went from Tarawera to Rotorua by 
the road of Tikitapu, they never reached Rotorua at all; somehow they 
always got lost by that road. 
And so again it was with the people from Rotokakahi, travelling thence 
to Rotorua; if they went by the road leading by Pareuru, they safely 
arrived at Rotorua, and also in returning from Rotorua; if they came back 
by that same road, they reached their villages at Rotokakahi in safety ; 
somehow, there was something or other in that road by Tikitapu which 
