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THE MANNER OF HUNTING THE RAT. 
many tawiti or traps placed. The first was called tamatane, 
the second tamawahine. If a rat was taken in the first, there 
was certain to be a failure along the whole line ; but if in the 
second, they then made sure of having most of the traps 
filled ; these were baited with miro and other berries ; the 
bait was called a poa; when the first rat was taken, the 
following karakia was used : — 
Tai tai ki runga, 
Tai tai e rangi, 
Ko taitai o tu pahua, 
Ko taitai o te wairua to a,* 
Ko taitai unuhanga, 
Tena ko taka o te wairua toa, 
Marie ki tenei, 
Taitai awa, 
Ko tenei taitai, 
Ko taitai unuhanga, 
Te poa ki runga, 
Te poa e rangi, 
Te poapoa tukia, 
Poahaunga, 
Poa kakara tukia ki tenei, 
Poa haunga ki tenei poa, 
Tap tap above, 
Tap tap, 0 heaven, 
The tapping of the hungry, 
The tapping of the strong spirit, 
The tapping which produces 
food, 
Behold the knawing departs, 
food will come, 
Tap tap hungry, 
Thus tapping, 
The tap tap drawing forth 
The bait above, 
The bait, 0 heaven, 
The bait giving out its fragrance, 
The bait strong smelling, 
The fragrant bait placed for 
this purpose, 
The strong smelling bait, this is 
the bait. 
They commonly caught several hundred in one hunting, 
and were out many days : when all the rats taken were col- 
lected together, then they made first an oven —hangi atua — 
in which they put a rat, as an offering of the first fruits of 
the chase to the Atua ; this was lifted up on a stage, and 
then the priest used the following karakia : — 
Te kaha ko ia unuhanga, The smell is drawn out, 
Ko ia komokanga, It enters the nostrils, 
Ko ia puakanga ki waho, It spreads in the air, 
He popo, popo ngaruru, The bait is perceived by its 
fragrance, 
* The spirit of hunger. 
