WAR CEREMONIES. 
191 
offered them to the god of war, with many prayers. They 
then performed the tujoehe , or war dance, and clapped their 
hands a second time. 
The slave of the tohnnga belonging to the war party 
then made three ovens, in which were placed the hearts 
of the principal warriors slain. When they were cooked, 
the chief tohunga took a portion, over which he uttered 
a karakia, and then threw it towards his god, as an 
offering. Having eaten all the food of the three ovens, he 
took the tapu off the warriors, and they were permitted to 
tangi , or cry, with their relations. The women came out 
armed, and if any of the attacking party had been lost in 
the assault, they fell upon the slaves, and killed as many as 
they could.* Among the Taupo tribes it was not lawful for 
women and girls to eat human flesh, though this restriction 
does not appear to have extended to other parts of the 
island. 
This karakia was used to propitiate Maru, for success in 
war. It was accompanied with the offering of a pig, or 
other food, which, when cooked, was placed before the 
priest, who repeated the following words whilst tearing it in 
pieces ; he afterwards devoured it : — 
Ko pi, ko pi te ata, ka kai 
ana, 
Kia kai koe i te kai ngaki o 
tou wanaunga 
Tenei tou kai i kai namu ai, 
Kia wangaia kai namu ai. 
Dark dark the morning when 
you shall eat, 
And you .shall eat of the food 
your fathers have planted, 
This is your food, the sand fly 
shall you eat, 
The sand fly shall be your 
nourishment. 
* When Hongi returned from a war expedition, the widow of one of his 
chiefs, who had fallen in battle, rushed down to the canoe as it approached, 
loudly demanding utu , revenge, for her husband’s death. There were many cap- 
tives on board ; she jumped into the canoe with a hatchet in her hand ; the poor 
fellows knowing that their doom was sealed, without a murmur, of their own 
accord laid their heads over the sides of the canoe, and met their fate from 
her hands ; sixteen thus fell victims to her fury. Mr. Puckey, an eye witness, 
narrated the circumstance to me. 
