10 Transactions, — Miscellaneous. 



aftei- their cruel slaughter, went into their 2)a to eat their food ; it was then 

 that Rongouaroa came to himself, and opening his eyes and looking around, 

 he saw his brothers and companions all dead on the ground ; on seeing this he 

 summoned all his remaining strength, and crawled away and hid himself 

 among some thick bushes close by. While there, he heard them (Tawheta 

 and his people) vaunting loudly over their doings, and Tawheta said, " To- 

 morrow, early, we will all go to Uenuku's pa ; we will deceive him, and kill 

 him, too, that he and his may all die together." Their meal and talk over, 

 they all came out to drag the bodies of the slain into the town (pa), to cut 

 them up (for food). When it was night, Eougouaroa crept out of his 

 hiding-place and crawled into one of their large canoes, and stowed himself 

 snugly away in the forehold (under the nose of the canoe) ; and this was his 

 charm which he uttered for his safe concealment : — 



" Tu ! overspread the face of the sky, that (I) may be hidden ; let their eyes be 



dazzled {or flash waveringiy) in looking at the stars, and at the moon, and 



at the light." 

 And so, sure enough, he was hidden securely ; and he, having uttered his 

 charm, laid himself quietly down.* 



Early in the morning the cajoling party was on the move, to go and kill 

 Uenuku. They quickly put then- things into their canoes, and paddled 

 away, with vigour, to Uenuku's town (jmJ. Arriving there, they hastened 

 to disembark and to drag up their canoes on the beach, when they all 

 proceeded quietly into Uenuku's ^ff, amid the wavings, and shouts, and cries 

 of welcome of Uenuku's people, — "Come hither, come hither, ye most 

 welcome stranger-visitors ! " And so the visiting party went into the pa, 

 and entered the big reception house of the chief and sat down. The people 

 of the place were now all very busy in preparing a plentiful meal for their 

 unexpected visitors ; the cooking-fires and ovens were everywhere lighted, 

 and great preparations were being made, for Uenuku and his people 

 supposed them to have come with good intentions only, and, therefore, they 

 were most welcome ; but it was not so, as it soon appeared, for they had 

 come to murder Uenuku, and also to eat him, which they had thought to bring 

 to pass through their deceit. While the food was preparing, Uenuku arose, 

 in the large open space before the house, to address his visitors ; and thus 

 he began: "Come hither, welcome hither; art thou indeed Tawheta?"! 



* "Quietly down:" — Notice here the very great influence of Eongoua's firm faith 

 in his simple charm! (See the story of Houmea, (infra), p. 26). It was a desperate 

 step to take, but his only possible chance of saving his people from destruction. 



t Uenuku saying, " Art thou," etc., meaning, Is it possible that Tawheta is come at 

 last to see me ! Tawheta, in reply, saying, " Thou thyself ! " meaning, Thou alone by thy 

 conduct wert the cause of our being so long estranged from eacji other. 



