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TRANSACTIONS 
NEW ZEALAND INSTITUTE, 
2 a ae 
I.—MISCELLANEOUS. 
Art. I.—Historical Incidents and Traditions of the Olden Times, pertaining to 
the Maoris of the North Island, (East Coast), New Zealand; highly 
illustrative of their national Character, and containing many peculiar, 
curious, and little-known Customs and Circumstances, and Matters firmly 
believed by them. Now, for the Jirst time, faithfully translated from old 
Maori Writings and Recitals; with explanatory Notes. Part IL* 
By W. Cotenso, F.L.S. 
[Read before the Hawke’s Bay Philosophical Institute, 9th May, and 12th June, 1881 a] 
Last year I had the honour and pleasure of reading some historical and tra- 
ditional papers before you respecting the ancient Maoris of this East Coast. 
At that time I did so with some diffidence ; for, first, I did not know how 
you might receive them; and, secondly, I did not know whether such papers 
would be published by the Parent Society. Now, however, we know, that 
those papers, read here and approved of by you, have been also published 
in the forthcoming volume (xiii.) of the « Transactions of the New Zealand 
Institute ;”” and this encourages me to bring some others of the same class, 
and obtained from the same sources, before you, during this winter's session ; 
only these are still more ancient, and, I think, more curious and interesting. 
Of course I have only very recently known of those papers having been 
printed. Had I earlier known of it, or of their having been approved of, I 
might have got some more ready during the autumn; for, I confess, the 
translating of some portions of them is exceedingly difficult; being written 
(or handed down) in language which, in some places, contains words and 
phrases that are very old, and have almost become obsolete.+ 
* For Part I. see “ Trans. N.Z. Inst.,” Vol. XIIL, p. 38. 
t Particularly in the matter of charms, spells, invocations, exorcisms, ete. Dee 
Owing to their allusions (often by a single word) to still more ancient events, persons, 
(ancestors and semi-deities), and things ; and to their largely oe in ellipses and 
aposiopesis ;—as I have formerly observed when on this subject 
