132 Transactions. — Miscellaneous, 



118. Kapre a te rahau ivhakaaro, kei te tohunga te ivhakaaro. 



The wood lias no thoughts, such only belong to its carver, or designer. 



119. Tirohia, he moko. 



Examine well a tattooed countenance ! (Meaning : A nobleman.) 

 Said by a man to another who stares rudely at him. 



120. He lohakatau karanga, ti7io taka iho a Te Kaahu. 



At the very first attempt to make the call (to dinner) , down rushes 

 Te Kaahu. 

 Applied to a person who jumps at an invitation which was scarcely 

 reaUy meant. The person mentioned figuratively by name, Te Kaahu, is, 

 translated hterally, the Hawk. 



121. Mate ivareware te uri o Kaitoa ; takoto ana te paki ki tua. 



Foolishly died the offspring of Recklessness, the fine weather was 

 ready close at hand. 



122. Mate x)apakore te uri o Kaitoa. 



The offspring of Rashness died heedlessly. 



These last two proverbs have the same meaning ; the reference is to 

 those who went hastily to sea in their canoe when a gale was coming on, 

 and all miserably perished ; fine weather, too, bemg near. 



Meaning : Be prudent ; don't act rashly. 



123. Kei mau ki te pou pai, he pou e eketia e te kiore ; tena ko te pou kino, 

 ekore e eTcetia e te kiore. 



Do not select a fine nice post (for youi- storehouse), as that kind of 



post will be climbed up to the top by the rat, but the ugly post 



will not be so ascended by the rat. 



This is advice from a father to his son about takmg a wife (which has 



become a proverb) — yneaning : Do not seek so much for a handsome person, 



who may cause you trouble, for you may be better off and dwell quieter 



with a plain one. 



124. He pirau kai ma te arero e kape. 



The tongue soon detects and rejects (a bit of) rotten or bitter food. 

 Meaning : Any evil thing may be quickly foimd out and thrown aside. 



125. Hotwa te jnto or a ki te pito mate. 



Join the Uving end to the weak one. 



Used sometimes for raising a weak or impoverished chief or tribe, by 

 aUiance or marriage with a stronger one. 



An allusion is here made to the ends of kumara, or sweet potatoes ; in 

 planting, they make use of the sprouting end of the root as seed, and so, 

 sometimes, place two such ends in one little hillock to make sure of plants. 



126. Honoa te pito mata ki te pito maoa. 



Eat together {lit., join) the underdone end with the nicely- cooked 

 end (of the sweet j)otatoes, understood). 



