﻿B^ 
  Transactions, 
  — 
  Miscellaneous, 
  

  

  not 
  straight, 
  as 
  if 
  to 
  represent 
  it 
  wriggling 
  or 
  living, 
  and 
  not 
  dead. 
  It 
  was 
  

   many 
  yards 
  in 
  length, 
  and 
  of 
  corresponding 
  width 
  and 
  thickness, 
  and 
  by 
  no 
  

   means 
  badly 
  executed. 
  On 
  two 
  occasions, 
  in 
  particular, 
  in 
  travelling 
  that 
  

   way, 
  as 
  we 
  generally 
  rested 
  there 
  on 
  the 
  banks 
  of 
  the 
  stream, 
  the 
  old 
  Maori 
  

   chiefs 
  with 
  me 
  would 
  diligently 
  use 
  then- 
  tomahawks 
  and 
  wooden 
  spades 
  in 
  

   clearing 
  away 
  the 
  coarse 
  grass 
  and 
  low 
  bushes 
  growing 
  on 
  it 
  in 
  its 
  more 
  

   salient 
  parts, 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  keep 
  its 
  outline 
  tolerably 
  clear, 
  reminding 
  me 
  of 
  what 
  

   has 
  been 
  said 
  of 
  the 
  periodical 
  scouring 
  in 
  the 
  Vale 
  of 
  the 
  White 
  Horse. 
  

   The 
  natural 
  vegetation 
  of 
  the 
  place 
  was 
  well 
  su.ited 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  pre- 
  

   serving 
  it, 
  being 
  mostly 
  composed 
  of 
  our 
  (Hawke 
  Bay) 
  common 
  carpet 
  or 
  

   mat 
  grass 
  (Microlmna 
  stvpoides) 
  and 
  a 
  low-growing 
  Muhlenheckia 
  (M. 
  

   axillaris 
  )■'% 
  but 
  in 
  those 
  days 
  no 
  foot 
  of 
  man 
  trod 
  on 
  it, 
  and 
  of 
  beasts 
  there 
  

   were 
  none 
  ! 
  

  

  This 
  curious 
  earth-work 
  was 
  called 
  Te 
  Ika-a-Eangitauira, 
  that 
  is, 
  that 
  

   that 
  Saurian 
  outline 
  was 
  made 
  or 
  formed 
  by 
  a 
  chief 
  whose 
  name 
  was 
  

   Eangitauira. 
  He 
  was 
  an 
  ancestor 
  of 
  the 
  chief 
  Karaitiana 
  (M.H.E.), 
  and 
  

   of 
  several 
  other 
  chiefs 
  and 
  sub-tribes 
  now 
  living 
  here 
  in 
  Hawke 
  Bay 
  ; 
  he 
  

   lived 
  nineteen 
  generations 
  back 
  ; 
  one 
  of 
  his 
  residences 
  was 
  a 
  large 
  pa 
  called 
  

   Te 
  Mingi, 
  on 
  the 
  Tutaekuri 
  river. 
  He 
  formed 
  this 
  design, 
  or 
  earth-work 
  

   (which 
  originally 
  consisted 
  of 
  three 
  Saurian 
  outlines) 
  in 
  remembrance 
  of 
  his 
  

   having 
  returned 
  from 
  that 
  spot 
  with 
  his 
  fighting 
  party. 
  They 
  had 
  left 
  their 
  

   own 
  p)a 
  to 
  attack 
  another 
  on 
  the 
  east 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  Tukituki 
  river, 
  but 
  being 
  

   here 
  overtaken 
  by 
  daylight 
  abandoned 
  their 
  design. 
  First, 
  however, 
  forming 
  

   and 
  leaving 
  .there 
  those 
  three 
  monsters, 
  to 
  indicate 
  to 
  the 
  people 
  of 
  the^^a 
  

   they 
  had 
  set 
  out 
  to 
  attack, 
  how 
  they 
  had 
  intended 
  to 
  serve 
  (i.e. 
  devour) 
  

   them. 
  This 
  chief 
  subsequently 
  met 
  with 
  his 
  death 
  in 
  returning 
  from 
  the 
  

   Patea 
  country 
  in 
  the 
  interior, 
  through 
  being 
  overtaken 
  by 
  a 
  violent 
  snow- 
  

   siorm, 
  and 
  taking 
  refuge 
  in 
  a 
  cave 
  called 
  Te 
  Eeporoa 
  (on 
  the 
  lower 
  passes 
  of 
  

   the 
  Euahine 
  mountain 
  range) 
  where 
  he 
  and 
  those 
  with 
  him 
  miserably 
  

   perished 
  in 
  the 
  snow 
  ! 
  His 
  younger 
  brother, 
  who 
  persevered 
  and 
  kept 
  on 
  

   his 
  journey, 
  escaped. 
  Consequently 
  for 
  many 
  years 
  this 
  chief's 
  huge 
  earth- 
  

   work 
  Avas 
  attended 
  to 
  and 
  kept 
  clear 
  of 
  coarse 
  weeds 
  by 
  his 
  descendants 
  in 
  

   commemoration 
  of 
  him. 
  

  

  I 
  now 
  proceed 
  to 
  give 
  j^ou 
  some 
  of 
  those 
  old 
  legendary 
  tales, 
  for 
  which 
  

   I 
  have 
  been 
  preparing 
  the 
  way, 
  premising 
  that 
  these 
  are 
  all 
  fair 
  translations 
  

   from 
  the 
  original 
  Maori 
  as 
  I 
  received 
  them, 
  and 
  without 
  any 
  addition. 
  Like 
  

   most 
  translations, 
  however, 
  they 
  lose 
  much 
  of 
  their 
  striking 
  original 
  

   character 
  and 
  beauty 
  in 
  attempting 
  to 
  clothe 
  them 
  in 
  a 
  foreign 
  dress. 
  

  

  * 
  It 
  was 
  liere 
  that 
  I 
  discovered 
  that 
  pretty 
  little 
  and 
  very 
  scarce 
  plant, 
  Stackhoiisia 
  

   minima- 
  

  

  