CoLENSO. — Traditions of the Maoris. 31 



will hide thee below the platform-deck of our canoe, that thou mayest be 

 surely concealed." So they accordingly hid him there, and he was out of 

 sight. All this time Houmea was coming rapidly on to kill Uta to become 

 food for her. As she neared the canoe her big throat opened wide to swallow 

 them all ! Coming close up, she cried out, "Where is my food?" The 

 two children replied, "There, indeed, left behind upon the land; we two 

 came out to sea to catch fish, and were carried away hither by the force of 

 the wind." Then she called to them, "I am nearly dead from want of 

 food ! " On hearing this the children gave her some roasted fish. She ate 

 up all the fish and was not satiated. Then she cried again to them, " Have 

 you not plenty of fish, for I am not satisfied ? " The children said to her, 

 " mother, mother, here indeed is the thumping big morsel of food for 

 thee, still upon the fire." On this she cried out, " Give (it) hither, give (it) 

 hither, that it may be eaten up at once." Then they said to her, " Open 

 thy mouth wide ! " And, on her doing so, they flung an immensely big hot 

 stone, by means of a pair of wooden tongs, right into her open throat, which 

 went down into her stomach and burnt it ! So Houmea perished there upon 

 the ocean. But her offspring (representative or alter idem) is the big shag 

 which still lives here among us. These related are the doings of Houmea 

 of old. Of Houmea* that now dwells here in the habitable world (among 

 men), this is the proverbial saying, — " Houmea, rough and ugly flesh! " 

 And so the name of Houmea still remains among us, and is used and 

 applied to all evil women ; that is, all adulteresses and thieves found 

 dwelhng among men. 



A few things mentioned in this tale may be briefly noticed. 



1. The invariably kind and courteous words used by the husband, Uta, 

 in addressing his erring wife, even when having received from her great 

 provocation. Also, his kindness to his children. 



2. The fishing-canoe must have been of large size, and of a different 

 build from those of modern times (of Cook's days), for it had a platform- 

 deck, under which the chief, Uta, was stowed away. So in the case of 

 Eongoua, who snugly stowed himself away in the bow of the enemy's 

 canoe, which was also a fishing-canoe, for a war-canoe on that occasion 

 would have told its own tale. (See, Uenuku, (supra), p. 10). 



3. That their deep-sea fishing canoes also carried a fire-place, and had 

 fires and heated stones used for roasting fish. 



4. The charming simphcity of their spells ! and yet their (believed) 

 great powers ! and consequent value. 



Meaning the bad women to wjiom the term is applied. 



