﻿CoLENSO. 
  — 
  On 
  a 
  belter 
  Knowledge 
  of 
  the 
  Maori 
  Race. 
  89 
  

  

  Then 
  they 
  told 
  off 
  a 
  certain 
  number 
  to 
  go 
  to 
  the 
  entrance 
  of 
  the 
  cave 
  

   where 
  the 
  monster 
  dwelt, 
  while 
  others 
  were 
  well 
  armed 
  with 
  hard-wood 
  

   digging 
  spades''-' 
  and 
  clubs, 
  with 
  long 
  spears, 
  and 
  rib-bones 
  of 
  whales, 
  and 
  

   with 
  short 
  wooden 
  cleavers 
  or 
  halberts. 
  Last 
  of 
  all, 
  they 
  carefully 
  placed 
  

   and 
  laid 
  their 
  ropes 
  and 
  nooses, 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  monster 
  should 
  be 
  completely 
  

   taken 
  and 
  snared 
  in 
  them 
  ; 
  and 
  then, 
  when 
  all 
  was 
  ready, 
  the 
  men 
  who 
  had 
  

   been 
  appointed 
  to 
  go 
  up 
  to 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  the 
  cave 
  to 
  entice 
  and 
  provoke 
  the 
  

   creature 
  to 
  come 
  forth, 
  went 
  forwards 
  ; 
  but, 
  lo 
  ! 
  before 
  they 
  had 
  got 
  near 
  to 
  

   the 
  cave, 
  the 
  monster 
  had 
  already 
  smelt 
  the 
  odour 
  of 
  men. 
  

  

  Then 
  it 
  arose 
  within 
  its 
  cave. 
  And 
  the 
  men 
  who 
  had 
  gone 
  forth 
  to 
  

   provoke 
  it 
  heard 
  the 
  rumbling 
  of 
  its 
  awful 
  tread 
  within 
  the 
  cave, 
  resembling 
  

   the 
  grating 
  noise 
  of 
  thunder. 
  Notwithstanding, 
  they 
  courageously 
  enticed 
  

   it 
  forwards 
  by 
  exposing 
  themselves 
  to 
  danger 
  and 
  running 
  towards 
  it, 
  that 
  

   it 
  might 
  come 
  well 
  away 
  from 
  its 
  cave 
  ; 
  and 
  when 
  the 
  monster 
  saw 
  the 
  food 
  

   for 
  its 
  maw 
  by 
  which 
  it 
  hved, 
  it 
  came 
  forth 
  from 
  its 
  den 
  ramping 
  with 
  joy. 
  

  

  Now 
  this 
  monster 
  had 
  come 
  fearlessly 
  on 
  with 
  open 
  mouth, 
  and 
  with 
  its 
  

   tongue 
  darting 
  forth 
  after 
  those 
  men 
  ; 
  but 
  in 
  the 
  meanwhile 
  they 
  had 
  them- 
  

   selves 
  entered 
  into 
  the 
  snares 
  of 
  ropes, 
  and 
  had 
  passed 
  on 
  and 
  through 
  

   them, 
  and 
  were 
  now 
  got 
  beyond 
  the 
  set 
  snares— 
  the 
  ropes, 
  and 
  nooses, 
  and 
  

   snares, 
  all 
  lying 
  in 
  their 
  proper 
  positions 
  on 
  the 
  level 
  ground. 
  

  

  At 
  this 
  time 
  those 
  men 
  were 
  all 
  standing 
  around 
  below 
  wdien 
  the 
  huge 
  

   head 
  of 
  the 
  beast 
  appeared 
  on 
  the 
  top 
  of 
  the 
  little 
  hill, 
  and 
  the 
  other 
  men 
  

   were 
  also 
  ascending 
  that 
  hill 
  and 
  closing 
  in 
  gradually 
  all 
  around 
  ; 
  the 
  

   monster 
  lowered 
  his 
  head 
  awhile 
  and 
  then 
  came 
  on, 
  and 
  then 
  the 
  men, 
  the 
  

   little 
  party 
  of 
  provokers, 
  moved 
  further 
  away 
  on 
  to 
  the 
  to^j 
  of 
  another 
  

   hillock, 
  and 
  the 
  monster 
  following 
  them 
  entered 
  the 
  snares 
  ! 
  At 
  this 
  the 
  

   men 
  on 
  that 
  little 
  hill 
  stood 
  still, 
  then 
  the 
  monster 
  moved 
  on 
  further 
  and 
  

   further 
  towards 
  them, 
  climbing 
  up 
  that 
  ascent 
  also, 
  so 
  that 
  when 
  its 
  head 
  

   appeared 
  on 
  the 
  top 
  of 
  that 
  second 
  hillock 
  its 
  fore 
  legs 
  were 
  also 
  within 
  the 
  

   set 
  loops 
  of 
  the 
  big 
  snare. 
  

  

  Then 
  it 
  was 
  that 
  the 
  simultaneous 
  cry 
  arose 
  from 
  the 
  party 
  who 
  were 
  

   standing 
  on 
  the 
  top 
  of 
  the 
  little 
  hill 
  watching 
  intently, 
  " 
  Good 
  ! 
  capital 
  ! 
  

   it 
  has 
  entered 
  ! 
  it 
  is 
  enclosed 
  ! 
  pull 
  ! 
  haul 
  away 
  !" 
  And 
  that 
  other 
  party, 
  

   who 
  were 
  all 
  holding 
  on 
  to 
  the 
  several 
  ropes, 
  anxiously 
  waiting 
  for 
  the 
  

   word 
  of 
  command, 
  hearing 
  this, 
  pulled 
  away 
  heartily. 
  And, 
  lo 
  ! 
  it 
  came 
  to 
  

   pass 
  exactly 
  as 
  they 
  all 
  had 
  planned 
  and 
  wished 
  for 
  — 
  the 
  monster 
  was 
  

   caught 
  fast 
  in 
  the 
  very 
  middle 
  of 
  its 
  belly. 
  

  

  * 
  This 
  implement 
  (called 
  a 
  ko) 
  might 
  be 
  just 
  as 
  well 
  termed 
  a 
  lance, 
  or 
  pick; 
  it 
  was 
  

   narrow, 
  pointed, 
  and 
  6-7 
  feet 
  long, 
  and 
  used 
  for 
  digging 
  fern-root, 
  &c., 
  and 
  sometimes, 
  as 
  

   here, 
  as 
  an 
  offensive 
  weapon; 
  

  

  