CoLENSO. — Traditions of the Maoris. 19 



Uenuku, Euatapu was completely overcome with shame, and his whole 



heart was filled with grief and pain, and, loudly lamenting, he went away to 



the place where the canoe was, planning in his mind how he should best 



accomplish the murder of Uenuku's favourite sons, his elder brothers. He 



soon hit upon a plan ; he got a stone chisel and he worked away with it at 



the bottom of the new canoe, until he had cut a hole through, which, when 



done, he plugged up and hid with wooden chips and scrapings, so that it 



should not be seen. Then he went back into the town, but he would not 



eat any food, for his heart was still deeply grieved at the lowering words 



which his father had used respecting him. The next morning early 



Euatapu went and aroused and brought together the men of the place to 



drag the new canoe down to the sea. They all came and she was soon 



afloat, and then those young chiefs, 70 in number, who had been already 



prepared for that duty, entered on board of the canoe, he himself taking care 



that no boys* embarked with them, for some who came to do so he returned 



to their home. The canoe being well-manned with smart paddlers, and all 



being ready, away they paddled ; Euatapu himself going with them, seating 



himself in his own place on board, and keeping the heel of his foot firmly 



fixed on the hole which he had bored in her bottom. They paddled a very 



long way out to sea, when Euatapu removed his foot from the hole, and the 



water rushed in. On seeing the water in the bottom of the canoe they cried 



out, " We shall be upset ! turn her round to the shore ! " but Euatapu again 



fixing his heel on the hole, and also baling out the water, the canoe was soon 



free from it. They still paddled away further out, when some said, " Let 



us now return, for we have paddled to a very great distance." On hearing 



this, Euatapu answered, " We will soon return ; let us first go a little further 



out." So away they paddled, until they had got quite out of sight of 



land ; then he again removed his heel from the hole, and the water rushed 



in ! All immediately called out, " Where is the baler ? hasten ; bale out 



the water ; we are lost ! " But Euatapu had hidden the baler ; and soon 



the canoe was filled with. water, and was upset. t Then Euatapu made after 



his brothers, and quickly drowned several of them by plunging them under. 



Having done so, and seeing Paikea stUl swimming, he followed hard after 



him to drown him also ; but Paikea repeatedly evaded him. At last 



Euatapu said to Paikea, " Which of us two shall carry the tidings of our 



disaster to land ? " And Paikea replied, " I will, for I can do it ; for I am 



also a son of {or descended from) the sea." And this was both the reason 



of his so saying and of his escaping drowning, — Paikea being descended 



from Eongomaitahanui, who was also descended from Te Petipeti, and Te 



* The word may mean — younger sons, 

 t See proverb, No. 181, " Trans. N.Z. Inst.," Vol. XII., p. 140. 



