110 Transactions. —Miscellaneous. 
direction which the bird used to take was known. ‘Yes,’ was the reply, 
** and if some of us go that way when the bird happens to come, he gobbles 
us up.’ Having learned this, they went to the haunts of the bird, and 
erected a sort of block house, having only one small opening at some 
height from the ground, into which they jumped and then waited for the 
appearance of the bird. After some time they saw it coming. The body 
was still at a distance, when the head already reached their little fortress. 
The bird came nearer, and raised its huge beak towards the opening where 
the men stood; but the throw of a heavy axe from the men broke one of its 
wings. Again, it raised its beak, and again an axe broke its other wing. 
Then the men jumped down and killed it. After that they went to its cave, 
and found there a heap of human bones. 
Now the two men felt a great desire to go back to their own home, to 
their wives and families. So they launched their canoe, and paddled away 
in the direction of their island. At last they reached it. It was night 
when they landed. They went to their own houses, but there was no one 
in; there was only the smell of dogs. While they looked about, they 
observed the glare of a fire in some other house. They went in quietly 
and sat down, for all the people were asleep. By and by a woman sighed, 
as ifin her sleep. ‘‘ When the day declines the love arises. The father is 
parted from Hawaiki. There comes a sound from over the mountains. O, 
dear—o—.’’ When at last daylight came, the people woke up, and one of 
the women exclaimed, ‘“‘ There are our husbands.” 
2.—The Adventures of Tama. 
Once upon a time there was a chief named Tama, and his wife’s name 
was Rukutia. They had a son and two or three daughters, all still 
children. One day there came a company of visitors, namely, Tutekoro- 
panga and his followers. A feast was made, and then both parties stood 
up for a dance. Tama and his party wore maros, made of dogs’ tails, 
round their hips, and Tutekoropanga and his party wore maros, made of 
precious red feathers. The ornaments of the latter were much admired, 
and Tama felt that thereby he and his party were put in the shade. This 
vexed him so much that he withdrew from the gay company, and shut 
himself up in his ornamented private house. But while he thus sat 
fretting alone, Tutekoropanga made himself agreeable to his wife, Rukutia, 
which ended in an elopement. Before Tutekoropanga left, he spoke thus 
to Tama’s children, ‘‘ Tell your father that it will be quite impossible for 
him to pursue me, for I have laid my spells upon the briars, thorns, nettles, 
and ravines of the forest, and upon all the monsters and whirlpools of the 
sea.’’ Then he departed with his followers and with Rukutia. Tama’s 
