80 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



set a long way (12-14 inches) within its mouth, — the sound of this kind was 

 emitted from its larger aperture at the big dilated end ; * to me, this instru- 

 ment seems a really wonderful work and contrivance ! The noise they 

 made with some of their trumpets was very loud and powerful, and must, I 

 think, be justly termed discordant, if not absolutely hideous, to an European 

 ear ; yet by their different sounds their several chiefs in travelling were 

 known. And not only so, for those loud-sounding instruments were also 

 used as speaking-trumpets to carry words to a distance.! 



(2.) The flutes were made of wood and of bone — when of the latter it 

 was human bone. They were of various lengths, generally six to eight 

 inches long, open at both ends, and having three holes on one side and one 

 on the other. The wooden ones were ornamented with a great amount of 

 carving and inlaying, each being an example of skill, industry and patience, 

 and of the time necessarily taken in its construction. Those for the mouth 

 were differently formed from those for the nose. One of the smaller ones 

 (often made of bone) was not unfrequently worn suspended from the neck 

 of a chief. On these the old Maoris managed to play simple Maori tunes 

 and airs. 



(3.) Then- whistles were very large ; that is, thick, obtuse, peculiarly 



* One of these peculiar trumpets (and, as far as I know, the only one remaining in 

 New Zealand) is also in the possession of Mr. Samuel Locke, of Napier, who kindly lent 

 them both to me, to exhibit on my reading of this paper. 



t Of this we have two notable instances in the historical traditions of the Taupo 

 tribes, which, as they are very rare, I may give here. 



(1.) When the tribe of Ngatituwharetoa were returning from the battle and slaughter 

 of the Marangaranga people, and had reached the beaches of Taupo lake, they sounded 

 their big trumpet as a sign by which their approach should be known. On hearing it, a 

 lady named Hinekahuroa, one of the Ngatikurapoto tribe, then living at Eotongaio, 

 deeming it to be an insult, bawled out a bitter curse upon them (Pokokohua ma ! — mum- 

 mified heads) ; which they hearing immediately retaliated with another fell curse, 

 making their trumpet to say " To roro, To roro," — thy brains, thy brains. This so irri- 

 tated that chieftainess, that she followed it tip with another, still longer and worse, which, 

 of course, was as promptly repaid back by them in kind, through their trumpet ; and the 

 end of this was that two towns (pas) were besieged and taken, and the inhabitants ruth- 

 lessly slaughtered, within a month. 



(2.) Another instance was that of a chief named Euawehea, a grandson of Tuwhare- 

 toa, who had managed to inveigle Maoris of another tribe (Ngatitama) to become his de- 

 pendants, and, afterwards, whenever he should visit them in his canoe, he caused his 

 trumpet to proclaim his approach, ordering food to be got ready for him, and ending with 

 insulting language and curses, all spoken through his trumpet. The people of that village 

 bore it for a considerable time, but one day on his landing at their place as usual, he was 

 decoyed into their house of reception and killed — for the insulting words spoken through 

 his trumpet. Of course, that also quickly ended with a fearful revenge and full slaughter. — 

 (Historical Incidents of the Ancient Tribes of Taupo :—MSS. ined., W. G.) 



