160 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



ancient source, to account for the existence of greenstone, which differed from 

 other stone, not only in kind, but in the manner of its distribution ; only being 

 found m particular localities, and only in blocks of small size. Any one 

 familiar with Cook Strait will see the fitness of the name Kaipara-te-hau 

 = The wind-sports, for any headland along its coast. Kojm-ivai = "Water- 

 stomach, represented as swallowing the enormous volume of water which 

 flows down the channel of the Molyneux, in his attempt to intercept the 

 flight of Kaiam.io, seems to point to some convulsion of nature similar to 

 that which occurred some years ago in China, when a chasm opened across 

 the stream of the Yaugtsekiang and swallowed up its waters, leaving the 

 channel of the river dry for hundreds of miles. 



The Legend of Eongo-i-tua. 



R^ngo-i-tua (Fame-from-afar) was the first to arrive in this island from 

 Haivaiki. He found the country inhabited by the Kahui Tipua, their chiefs 

 were named Toi, Rauru, Hatoka, Riteka, Rongo-mai, Tahatiti, and Tama- 

 rakai-ora. On seeing the stranger, they ordered food to be set before him ; 

 and the servants brought mamaku, and kariru, and kiekie, and all their 

 choice delicacies, but Rongo-i-tna hardly tasted anything, and presently 

 asked for a kumete, or bowl of water, to be brought. This he placed behind 

 him, so as to conceal what he did. Then, unfastening his waist-belt, he 

 took from it some kao, or dried kumaras, which he placed in the bowl, 

 repeating all the time the following incantation : — 

 * " Ka rere, ka rere, te pito nei, 



Kei te puni puninga, te pito nei, 



Kei te kore korenga, te pito nei, 



Kei Maatera, kei Hawaiki." 

 He kept feeling the kumaras, and when they were sufficiently softened, 

 he mashed them into a pulp, and mixing them with the water, handed the 

 bowl to his hosts. When the Kahui Tipua tasted the sweetness of the 

 mixtm-e, they wanted more of the food, and asked then- guest where he 

 obtained it ; he told them from across the sea. Soon after this, Tua-kaka- 

 riki, one of their number, found a large totara tree on the beach, cast up 

 by the sea. He measm-ed its length, and found, after extending his arms 

 along it ten times, that he had not reached the end of it. Delighted with 

 his discovery, he hastened back to the pa. In the meantime, Rongo-i-tua 

 reached the beach, and seeing the tree, mounted upon it, and deposited his 

 excrement near the butt of it. When he, afterwards, heard Tua-kakariki 

 claiming the tree by right of prior discovery, he told the people that it could 

 not be claimed by Tua-kakariki, as it belonged to him long before in 



* He karakia tenei na Bongo-i-tua mo te weteka o te tatua. Ko tenei tatua ko Mauhope 

 (Fasten-waist) i roto te kumara i a Mau-hope. 



