Stack. — Traditional History of the So2itJi Island Maoris. 71 



heard those who had seen Eakai taiiwheke's house at Hataitai praising the 

 workmanship of it, and, being jealous, said — " What is his house to my 

 Kopapa, which will carry me along the backbone of Eongo rongo." These 

 words coming to Eakai tauwheke's ears, were interpreted by him to mean a 

 curse, and when Tapu afterwards came on a visit with some friends to 

 Hataitai, Eakai tauwheke fell upon him and killed him, but spared all his 

 companions, whom he allowed to return safely home. But dreading the 

 vengeance of Tapu's tribe, the Ngai Tahu abandoned Hataitai, and crossed 

 over the straits in a body to Moioio, an island in one of the sounds close to 

 Kai hinu, where there was a mixed settlement of Ngaitara and Ngatimamoe. 

 Here they lived peaceably with their neighbours for some time till their anger 

 was aroused by the discovery that they had joined in eating the corrupted 

 body of a Ngai Tahu man which they had found in the forest, where, 

 unknown to his friends, he had died. This was considered a very gross 

 insult, and was avenged in the following manner : — Someone was sent to 

 fetch the leg and thigh-bones of Te ao Marere, a Ngaitara chief, whose 

 remains had been lately discovered in a cave by some Ngai Tahu women 

 when gathering flax on the slopes of Kaihinu. Out of these bones hooks 

 were made, and when Ngaitara went out to fish a Ngai Tahu man, taking 

 one of the hooks, went with them ; and when the fish greedily attacked the 

 bait, and were drawn up to the surface in rapid succession, he said, m a 

 tone to be heard and remarked, " How the old man buried up there nips." 

 The v^^ords were noted, and it was agreed that they could only refer to the 

 desecration of their chief's grave, and to set the question at rest a person 

 was sent to examine it, when it was found that part of the skeleton had 

 been removed. As the Ngaitara did not regard this as a justifiable act of 

 retaliation for their having eaten the body which they found, they determined 

 therefore to avenge it. An opportunity of doing so was afforded to them 

 shortly afterwards, when a party of Ngai Tahu women came as usual to 

 the neighbourhood of Kai hinu to gather flax. V/hile they were busily 

 employed at their work, the Ngaitara attacked and killed the whole of 

 them, amongst whom was the daughter of Puralio. This chief mourned 

 sorely for his child and vowed to avenge her ; but before he could do so, 

 he was himself killed by the same people, who, feeling that they had 

 incurred the vengeance of Ngai Tahu, were resolved to follow up what they 

 had done and to be the first in the field. Observing from the mainland, 

 which was only a short way off, that Puraho and Manawa went every 

 morning at dawn to perform certain offices of nature at a particular spot 

 where they had dug two holes together for the purpose, it was arranged to 

 plant an ambush near the spot to lie in wait for them. Accordingly, during 

 the night, two warriors were sent to secrete themselves in the holes, where, 



