1 6 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



had ever been taken great care of by the grandson* of Tumatauenga, 

 Uenuku. The war expedition paddled away until they came to Matikotai 

 and Porangahau, where was Tawheta's fort, or war pa ; there, at Uentikn's 

 command, all the canoes anchored just outside the swell of the waves, each 

 being provided with stone anchors and long ropes for that purpose ; this 

 done they paddled in towards the shore. Then it was that Tawheta and 

 his people, who were there assembled in great numbers, rushed down to 

 meet Uenuku's party, and even waded out into the sea to fight them, and 

 to oppose their landing! when Putuakiterangi, one of Tawheta's braves, 

 was seized by Uenuku's party, dragged into the canoe and carried off! 

 Uenuku giving the order to draw all the canoes outside by their long ropes. 

 There, according to custom, they killed their first prisoner, cut him open, 

 and tore out his heart ; t then they made a sacred fire by friction, and when 

 it was fully blazing they roasted the heart on the fire, and when it was 

 cooked, they covered over both the heart and the sacred fire with the two 

 garments already mentioned, — Te Eangituitui and Te Eangikahupapa. 

 Then it was that Uenuku, standing up ui his canoe, called on the mist from 

 the summits of (the mountain) Tirikawa, saying, " Attend ! fall down and 

 encompass; fall down and cover up!" When, lo ! it suddenly became 

 very dark indeed, and the stars were seen in the sky. Uenuku and his 

 people listened, and lo ! Tawheta and his people were heard fighting 

 among themselves in the darkness, and killing each other ! the curses 

 and the groans were heard, also the hollow blows on each other's heads 

 from their clubs ; not one of them, however, was struck by Uenuku's 

 party, who were still in their canoes ; they did it all themselves. After 



* The word mokopuna may mean, great great grandson, etc., or lineal descendant. 



t A very similar proceeding to the first sacriiice, mentioned in the beginning of this 

 story, only with different ceremonies. This custom was of universal application among 

 the New Zealanders ; hence, in war, it was of great importance (on either side) to seize 

 the first prisoner for this purpose. Uenuku seems to have laid his plan well, by anchoring 

 his canoes in the way he did, to bring the desired end so readily to pass. The student of 

 Ancient History will know how extensively this custom was practised, both in the Old 

 World and New (Mexico); the two things seem generally to have gone together, — the 

 bloody offering (or the life), and the offering by fire ; blood being, at all times and in every 

 zone, supposed to be fitted to appease the gods ! Sir Walter Scott has well worked upon 

 this ancient belief in his poem of " The Lady of the Lake," Canto V.,— the combat between 

 FitzJames and Eoderick Dhu, — 



• '* Which spills the foremost foeman's hfe, 



That party conquers in the strife." 

 It is even said, that the Highlanders under Montrose were so deeply imbued with this 

 notion, that, on the morning of the battle of Tippermoor, they murdered a defenceless 

 herdsman, whom they found in the fields, merely to secure an advantage of so much con- 

 sequence to their party. 



