758 Transactions. 
armed, would leave the ranks of his party; these two, after a mock 
encounter, returned to their respective parties, the visitors slowly approach- 
1 id welcoming cries. They paused when a space of about 30 ft. 
separated the two bodies of people, when the keening took place. Suddenly 
the keening ceased and the visitors began their chant. In the particular 
instance noted the Wairoa were the visitors, and their chant was as 
follows :— : 
This was a wailing chant, rising and falling, sung very softly, repeated 
as the varying length of the sentences required, each sentence being closed 
y the hiangi, or slurred drop through an interval of an octave or less. 
This chant bears some resemblance to the first one recorded by Forster. 
The local people immediately followed with a rhythmical monotone :— 
Toi PS OE Tbe : 
SR | US] 1 П л bab 
This was sung at the rate of four quavers, or slightly over, in à second, 
the women an octave above the men; but whereas in the first the hitangi 
joining the body of sound after the singer had taken breath. A m 
strange effect is produced on the hearer by this unbroken rhythmical 
monotone, and the effect of karakia, which are intoned in a similar way, 
can easily be understood. There was a trace of accent on every alternate 
quaver, or crotchet when this took the place of two quavers, as though the 
chant were in 2 rather than in 4 time. A chant similar in all respects to t i 
was sung by the Tuhoe people at Gisborne the year before, all standing 
grouped together in the marquee allotted to them. 
The usual speeches by both parties followed the chant 2, and the local 
people then sang a third song, with the following rhythm :— 
_ Whilst the rhythm appears the same, the effect is quite different, there 
being in this no trace of accent. The first part, again, varied in length 
de ck to the length of the sentence ; towards the close of the "€ 
the pitch rose a semitone or less, droppi in to the opening piteà 
——— before the closing hiangi. mcum dex h 
1 be noted that the rhythms of 2 and 3 correspond exactly wit 
"s theoretical rhythm of the Greek anapest and dactyl respectively, tbe 
au consisting of two short syllables followed by a long, the latter of à 
"ms followed by two shorts—a long being always, theoretically, twice the 
ength of a short. With very little modification the Maori chant 3 wout 
correspond with the hexameter. 
