36 Transactions.— Miscellaneous. 
That the kumara must have been known to the Maoris from very 
ancient times (from their historical traditionary beginnings, or even earlier 
times), may be also logically inferred,—(1) from their ancient common 
belief, that their deceased ancestors (chiefs) fed on it in the nether world, 
the Maori Hades (Reinga); and (2) from their strange stories of persons 
who had been ill and had died, and had gone thither, and came back again 
to life, bringing kumara with them (though generally losing them by the 
way!); and (8) from their state during dreams, when they firmly believed 
that the spirit left the body and wandered at will, sometimes even visiting 
the nether world, when, of course, it saw goodly visions of kumara; and 
(4) from the marvellous exploits of their pre-historic hero, Tawhaki, who, 
among other things, having climbed up into the sky, visited his ancestress, 
Whaitiri, who was blind from age, and on his arriving at her place of 
abode, he found her engaged in carefully counting her seed-kumara 
roots.*. 
Another quaint old ancient legend concerning the kumara, which 
partakes a little more of the historical element, runs thus :— 
The Story of the fighting of Tumatauenga with his elder Brother Rongomaraeroa. 
‘ (Literally translated.) 
Their angry contention arose about their kumara plantation ; the name 
of that plantation was Pohutukawa. Then Tumatauenga went to see Ruru- 
tangiakau, to fetch weapons for himself; and Rurutangiakau gave to him 
his own child Te Akerautangi; it had two mouths, four eyes, four ears, 
and four nostrils to its two noses. Then their fighting began in earnest, 
and Rongomaraeroa with his people were killed, all slain by Tumatauenga. 
The name given to that battle was Moenga-toto (sleeping-in-blood, or 
bloody sleep). Tumatauenga also baked in an oven and ate his elder brother 
Rongomaraeroa, so that he was wholly devoured as food. Now the plain 
interpretation, or meaning, of these names in common words, is, that 
Rongomaraeroa is the kumara (root), and that Tumatauenga is man. 
A remnant, however, of the Kumara (tribe) escaped destruction, and 
fled into a great lady named Pani to dwell; her stomach (puku) was wholly 
the storehouse for the kumara, and the kumara plantation was also the 
stomach of Pani. When the people of her town were greatly in want of 
vegetable food, Pani lit the firewood of her cooking-oven, as if for cooking 
largely, and it burnt well, and the oven was getting ready. The men (of 
the place) looking on, said, one to another, “« Where can the vegetable food 
* See Grey’s “Polynesian Mythology,” p. 70: there, however, it is stated that they 
were “‘ taro roots” which the old lady was counting; who, also, there bears a different 
name, or nick-name, Matakerepo—Totally blind, from her blindness. This is the only 
instance I have ever heard of taro being used for kumara-roots. 
