CoLENSO. — Traditions of the Maoris. 21 



2. The big fish of the sea swims fleetly through strenuous exertion ; blowing forth 

 the blasts of sea-water from (its) nostrils ; the big fish is lifted above the waters. 



3. Space ^ makes (it) buoyant ; Sky ^ upheaves (it) above the swell of Ocean. 



4. Now, rushing forwards, a steep descent ; anon (as if) climbing the fence of a fort ! 

 now a roughening squall of wind comes on ; anon, as a bird's feather borne before it 1 



5. Ha ! ha ! thy heart (even as, or one with) my heart.^ 



6. Now the great enduring courageous heart of (the descendant from the) Sky, shall 

 make itself to emerge through all difficulties and dangers to the habitable, to dwellings 

 (of) light. 



7. A full deliverance (for the) son of a chief, who was properly begotten the son of 

 a chief. 



8. Son above ; son abroad ; son according to the proper ceremonies (rightly or duly) 

 performed ; son according to the sign of the breaking-away of clouds, enlightening hither- 

 wards from the outermost sides of the far-off horizon.* 



9. Ha ! abroad, far away on the deep (is) verily the place to exert strength, showing 

 the straining of (one's) sinews. 



10. Here, now, (is) the skid, I mount up on the top (of it) ; the very skid of Houtaiki ; ^ 

 the skid satisfying the heart ; the skid (that is) sure and fast. 



11. Ha ! ha ! the cold wind (is) laughed at, defied ; (so is) the cutting icy wind to the 

 skin ; so (is) the bitter cold penetrating and numbing vapour ; and so the fainting internal 

 feeling of sickness. 



12. Here (is) the skid ! I get up on (it) ; verily the same skid of Houtaiki so greatly 

 desired and looked for. 



2 For Space and Sky, see " Trans. N.Z. Inst.," Vol. XIII., pp. 68, 69, etc. 



3 See the charm used for Eongoua's fractured skull, p. 11, Uenuku. 



* These two verses (7 and 8) require explanation. Here there are six high reasons 

 given by Paikea for asserting his nobility : — 



(1) " Son of a chief" — i.e., by both parents. 



(2) "Properly begotten" — i.e., with betrothal, and parental consent, and every proper 

 preliminary arrangement ; — see Kapi's wedding, " Trans. N.Z. Inst.," Vol. XIIL, pp. 45, 

 46. (All this was wanting in the case of Paimahutanga, the mother of Euatapu ; see p. 

 18, note.) 



(3) " Son above" — i.e., in and with the approval of the Sky. 



(4) " Son abroad" — i.e., around, — in or with the approval of Space. 



(5) " Son according to ceremonies duly performed — i.e., by the priests {tohunga), at 

 the early naming, — the cutting of hair, — the arriving at puberty, etc. 



(6) " Son according to the celestial signs" — i.e., these, such as are here referred to, 

 were, — distant summer lightnings, — aurora australis, — peculiar red and other clouds, 

 appearing on the horizon, — shooting stars, etc., etc.; and were always supposed and 

 believed to have been given at, or shortly after, such ceremonial seasons, as tokens of 

 approval, etc. 



5 The skid of Houtaiki." Houtaiki is the name of one of Paikea's ancestors. Here, 

 however, an allusion is made to the canoe of Houtaiki getting safely drawn up on its skids 

 on the shore ; it is a very ancient story. It was also used to denote a fixed safe barrier, 

 or bounds, which were not to be passed, as at Taupo, etc.; and, also, known as "te puru 

 o Houtaiki" — i.e., stoppage, obstacle, barrier. " Te rango o Houtaiki" is one of the names 

 of the low isthmus connecting Table Cape Peninsula with the mainland. The name of 

 Houtaiki often occurs in poetry, in connection with that of Houmea {injra). 



