Cotenso,—On a better Knowledge of the Maori Race. 99 
cliff, almost simultaneously with the first pull, lo! the monster was already 
ontside of the entrance to the cave. But then, in so saying, the potent 
work of the priests in reciting their raising and uplifting charms must be 
also included in the cause of the easy accomplishment. The moment that 
the monster’s great tail was outside clear of the cave, then its head began 
to rear and toss and plunge, frightful to behold! On seeing this, they 
loosened a little the rope that held it by its middle; when, lo! its head was 
close to the trees, against which it began to lean, while it knocked about 
its tail prodigiously. The men, however, were on the watch, and soon the 
two ropes were hauled tightly up around the trees, notwithstanding the 
jerkings and writhings of its huge tail. There, at last, it was, lashed fast 
close to the trees, so that it could only wriggle a little that is to say its 
tail. 
Then the armed men came on; they banged and beat and clubbed away 
at the monster, which now lay like a rat caught in the snare of a trap; and 
it was not long before it was quite dead, partly through the blows and 
bruises, and partly through the ropes ; and so it came to pass that it was 
killed. 
The fame of this great exploit was soon carried to all those tribes who 
had fetched and sent Purahokura on his errand to Tikitapu. Then they 
assembled at the place, and saw with astonishment their deadly foe lying 
on the ground, just like a stranded whale on the sea-shore, even so this 
noxious monster now lay extended before them. Then arose the mighty 
shout of derision from all both great and small, the noise was truly deafen- 
ing, loud sounding, like that arising from the meeting together of the strong 
currents of many waters ! 
Early the next morning the people arose to their work to cut up their 
fish ; then was to be seen with admiration the dexterous use of the various 
sharp-cutting instruments—of the saw made of sharks’ teeth, of the sea 
mussel-shells, of the sharp pitch-stone knives, of the freshwater mussel- 
shells, and of the flints. Truly wonderful it was to behold, such loads of 
fat! such thick collops! This was owing to the cannibal monster con- 
tinually devouring men for its common food at all times and seasons; it 
never knew a time of want or a season of scarcity ; it never had any winter, 
it was always a jolly harvest time with it! How, indeed, should it have 
been otherwise ? when the companies of travellers from this place and from 
that place were continually passing and repassing to and fro; therefore it 
came to pass that its huge maw was satiated with food—not including the 
food given to it by its master Tangaroamihi—and therefore it came to be so 
very fat. : 
So the big fish was eut up. As they went on with their work, and got ve 
