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A VIEW OF THE REINGA. 
CHAPTER XII. 
SINGULAR RITES, AND CUSTOMS RELATING TO THE DEAD. 
The Rakau Tapu, sacred tree, or religion of tlie Nga-ti- 
rua-nui, had several singular rites connected with it ; of 
such were their grand sacrifices. The Pouwhiro, High 
priest, or chief ariki, stood before the sacred wata or 
stage, on which the offerings were placed. 
There were three kinds of these stages. The first was He 
wata wakaairo, which was carved and highly ornamented. 
This was the principal one, and was called he Paiahua, the 
beautiful. The second was called Te Witipana , the power 
of warding off evil. The third was named Pou Wakaturia, 
the enduring post. The Pouwhiro stood before the sacred 
stage, generally in a state of nudity, holding in his hand a 
carved tokotoko, staff, with a grotesque human figure on the 
top, similar to those on an ornamented hoe. This tokotoko 
waka airo he stuck in the ground by his side ; whilst uttering 
his karakia no one came near him, he stood in th£* most 
