CoLENSO. — Traditions of the Maoris. 29 



alive, within her own stomach there to dwell ! By-and-bye the canoe with 

 her husband returned from the fishing. On his commg into the village he 

 found her gi-oaning audibly, while the big flies were also buzzing in numbers 

 about her lips. On seeing this the husband said, " mother dear, art thou 

 ill?" She replied, "Yes, very much so." Then he' rejoined, "Where 

 (within) is the demon (atua), that is now gnawing thee?" She replied, 

 " Within my stomach, within my bowels." Then he said to her, "Wher- 

 ever can the children be, as they are not here present?" To this she 

 replied, " Grone away somewhere, from the early morning; wherever can 

 they be, wherever can they possibly be ! " Then he closely examined her 

 lips, and having done so, he recited a powerful spell : these are the words 

 of that spell : — 



" Attack, strike end on, hit away upwards, turn (it), ward (it) off on one 



side ; cause the food swallowed by the big cormorant* to be disgorged without ; 



(let it) be open, clear; the obstruction is already uplifted by the charm, the 



obstruction is now securely noosed in a running loop of flax and carried off, — 



that is to say, the obstruction hindering {or confining) Tutawhake." 



At the close of those words, lo ! out of her mouth came those two childi-en 



she had swallowed; Tutawhake bearing a carved staff of rank (taiaha), 



and Nini bearmg a spear (huata.) And this is the tale of old concerning 



the woman who was both a thief and a murderess of her own children. 



Part II. 

 This which follows is the second part of that tale of Houmea ; which, how- 

 ever, is more concerning her husband Uta. 



Now it came to pass that Uta very greatly feared his wife, lest both 

 himself and his two children should be swallowed up alive by Houmea ; 

 and, therefore, he one day said to his two children, " My dear children, 

 this is my word to you two ; whenever I may send you to fetch drinking 

 water, be very sure that you two do not go ; when I shall threaten you (for 

 not going), be sure that you two do not go; when I shall strongly order you 

 to go, saying also that I will beat you with a stick if you continue disobe- 

 dient, be sure you two do not go for any water ; and even when, with a 

 high voice and severe threatenings, I make you two to feel afraid, still, be 

 very sure that you two do not go." It was not long after this, that their 

 father ordered them to go (for water), when those two children paid no heed 

 and stirred not at hearing the commands of their father. Then Uta turned 

 to his wife and said, " mother dear, mother dear, wilt thou not go and 

 fetch me some water to drink ? Verily I am dying through want of water. 

 Here, also, have I been repeatedly ordering those children to go, and they 



* Gracuhis varius. 



