Stack. — On Cameron's Theory respecting the Kahui Tipua. 161 



Hawaiki, from whicli place it had followed him ; and that if they went and 

 examined it, they would find his private mark upon it, made before leaving 

 home. The discovery of the excrement settled the question of ownership 

 in favour of Rongo-i-tua. The tree was subsequently split in two, and out 

 of each half a canoe was made ; one, called Manuka, because of the disgust 

 expressed at the sight of the excrement, — the other, Arai-te- Uru. Manuka 

 was first finished, and the Kahui Tijnca, impatient to possess the kumara, 

 sailed away to Hawaiki in search of it. They obtained a cargo, and 

 returned ; but, on planting them, they were disappointed to find that none 

 grew. In the meantime, Rongo-i-tua sailed away on the same errand in 

 Arai-te- Urn. On reaching Whajiga ra (sunny cove), the place in Hawaiki 

 where the kumara grew, he ordered his men to smTound the chief's house. 

 They heard the people inside repeating the kumara charms and incantations. 

 " Ah," said Rongo, " those karakias are what you need. Learn them." 

 After listening for awhile, he and his men acquired the knowledge they 

 needed to ensure the successful cultivation of the kumara. There were 

 three divinities who presided over the kuviara plantations — represented by 

 three posts or sticks, which required to be set up in every field. They were 

 named, — Kahukura (a male), Maui-i-rangi (male), and Marihaka (a female). 

 Before these, the karakia kumaras were repeated, and little offerings of 

 koromiko leaves presented. Any error made by the tohunga in performing 

 the sacred rights, while kumaras were being planted or taken up, resulted in 

 the death of the priest, and the destruction of the crop by the offended 

 divinities. Rongo-i-tua sent his canoe back under the command of Pakihiivi- 

 tahi and Hape-ki-tuaraki, while he remained for awhUe in Hawaiki. The 

 voyage was safely accomplished, and the cargo partly discharged ; but 

 Arai-te- Uru was eventually capsized off Moeraki, and lost, the remains of 

 the cargo being strewn along the coast, where at low-water it may at this 

 day be seen. Rongo, desiring to return, stepped in one day from Hawaiki 

 to Aotea-roa. The Kahui Tipua first saw a rainbow, which suddenly 

 assumed the form of a man, and Rongo stood amongst them ; hence, he 

 was ever afterwards known as Rongo-tikei, or, Rongo, " the Strider." * 



The Kumara and Aruhe were the offspring of Huruka and Pani. Aruhe 

 (fem-root) was the ariki, or lord, because it descended from the backbone 

 of its parent ; while Kumara having come forth from the front was the 

 inferior in rank. 



The husband of Pani wondered greatly how his wife procm-ed their food. 

 He watched her one day go down mto the water and rub the lower part of 

 her stomach, and then he soon afterwards saw her filling baskets with 



* According to some authorities, this occurred at his first appearance in New Zealand. 



14 



