22 Transactiotis. — Miscellaneoiis. 



Then the whole tree rose, and stood up again. Now Rata came forth from 

 his hiding phice, and just caught a glimpse of the spirits, who, shrinking 

 together into themselves, vanished. Then Rata said: "So they have done 

 with my tree; so they have undone my work, and I have been made a fool 

 of." Then a spirit's voice spoke to him saying: "Go home; leave the work 

 for us, thine ancestors; we will finish the canoe." So Rata went home and 

 told his mother what had happened. Next morning, when they got up they 

 found the new canoe quite finished, standing at the side of their house. Then 

 there followed religious ceremonies, to free the canoe from the spirits, so that 

 it could be put to common use. It was named "Niwaru." When all was 

 ready the canoe was launched and manned, and Rata went out on his first 

 war expedition. But little of this is known or remembered, and that little 

 seems more to have been a fight with rats than with human beings. However, 

 kiore-roa (long rat,) and kiore-poto (short rat,) may have been proper names. 

 They came back victors, but the mother declared that Wahieroa's death was 

 not avenged so long as Matuku lived. 



After this. Rata sailed to Puoronuku and Puororangi (the islands where 

 Matuku lived). He went ashore, and found the former servant of his father, 

 whom Matuku had carried away a prisoner. Rata asked him where Matuku 

 was. " Yonder, in his cave," replied the servant. " I am placed here to attend 

 to the plantation." "Will he not come this way?" asked Rata. "Not yet," 

 said the servant, " he comes in the seventh, or in the eighth month, to perform 

 the ceremony before we begin our thistle-cutting." Rata then requested the 

 servant to show him Matuku's abode. It was a cave. Rata placed a noose over 

 the entrance, and told the servant to stand in the plantation, and keep on calling 

 for Matuku to come out. When all was ready, the servant called, " Matuku, e ! 

 come to perform the rites for our thistle-cutting." Matuku answered in his cave, 

 calling : " Thou art mistaken in the seasons of Matuku. In the seventh, in 

 the eighth, months, I come to perform the rites of our thistle-cutting." The 

 servant called again : "Matuku, e! come to perform the rites for our thistle- 

 cutting." Now Matuku got angry. He called out: "Thou weariest the 

 patience of Matuku. Now thou shalt see Matuku coming." But as soon as 

 he put his head through the entrance Rata pulled the rope, and Matuku's head 

 was fastened in the noose. Then Rata killed him with an axe. Now 

 Wahieroa's death was avenged. 



Matuku is also the name of the slate-coloured heron. 



G. Tuwhakararo. 

 Rata left a son, called Tuwhakararo. Little is known about liim here. 

 His wife's name was Aj)akura. Onco Ijc made a voyage, and was slain 



