10 Transactions.— Miscellaneous, 
after their cruel slaughter, went into their pa to eat their food; it was then 
that Rongouaroa came to himself, and opening his eyes and looking around, 
he saw his brothers and companions all dead on the ground; on seeing this he 
summoned all his remaining strength, and crawled away and hid himself 
among some thick bushes close by. While there, he heard them (Tawheta 
and his people) vaunting loudly over their doings, and Tawheta said, “ To- 
morrow, early, we will all go to Uenuku’s pa; we will deceive him, and kill 
him, too, that he and his may all die together.” Their meal and talk over, 
they all came out to drag the bodies of the slain into the town (pa), to cut 
them up (for food). When it was night, Rongouaroa crept out of his 
hiding-place and crawled into one of their large canoes, and stowed himself 
snugly away in the forehold (under the nose of the canoe) ; and this was his 
charm which he uttered for his safe concealment :-— 
“Tu! overspread the face of the sky, that (I) may be hidden; let their eyes be 
dazzled (or flash wayeringly) in looking at the stars, and at the moon, and 
at the light.” 
And so, sure enough, he was hidden securely ; and he, having uttered his 
charm, laid himself quietly down.* 
Karly in the morning the cajoling party was on the move, to go and kill 
Uenuku. They quickly put their things into their canoes, and paddled 
away, with vigour, to Uenuku’s town (pa). Arriving there, they hastened 
to disembark and to drag up their canoes on the beach, when they all 
proceeded quietly into Uenuku’s pa, amid the wavings, and shouts, and cries 
of weleome of Uenuku’s people,—‘‘ Come hither, come hither, O ye most 
welcome stranger-visitors!”’ And so the visiting party went into the pa, 
and entered the big reception house of the chief and sat down. The people 
of the place were now all very busy in preparing a plentiful meal for their 
unexpected visitors ; the cooking-fires and ‘ovens were everywhere lighted, 
and great preparations were being made, for Uenuku and his people 
supposed them to have come with good intentions only, and, therefore, they 
were most welcome ; but it was not so, as it soon appeared, for they had 
come to murder Uenuku, and also to eat him, which they had thought to bring 
to pass through their deceit. While the food was preparing, Uenuku arose, 
in the large open space before the house, to address his visitors; and thus 
he began: “ Come hither, welcome hither; art thou indeed Tawheta ?” + 
* “Quietly down :”—Notice here the very great influence of Rongoua’s firm faith 
in his simple charm! (See the story of Houmea, (infra), p. 26). It was a desperate 
step to take, but his only possible chance of saving his people from destruction. 
t Uenuku saying, “ Art thou,” etc., meaning, Is it possible that Tawheta is come at 
last to see me! Tawheta, in reply, saying, “‘ Thou thyself!”” meaning, Thou alone by thy 
conduet wert the cause of our being so long estranged from each other. 
