TRADITIONS AND LEGENDS. 
245 
purpose so many hundreds were assembled ? the men of the 
place answered, these hundreds are to be your companions 
in the fight, Wakatau said, no, let the many remain, and 
a few only be my companions to bring back the canoe, 
then Wakatau went on board his canoe, the Hikutoto was 
its name ; they paddled in the night and arrived outside the 
pa, where they anchored, in the morning some of the men 
came out of the pa, they saw the Tcumete* bowl, afloat, the 
cry was raised throughout the pa, here is the kumete afloat, 
Mongourunui called out, I will go and bring it back, he 
swam to the canoe, when he approached the side, he was 
speared with the ko, he was killed, they pulled him on board, 
the men of the pa saw that Urunui was dead, they uttered the 
proverb, ff It is the fault of the swimming, let me fetch my 
swimming stroke to the prow direct.” Mangoururoa entered 
the water and dived to the canoe which floated outside, he 
went under the prow, Wakatau saw him, he poured out some 
oil from the calabash, the water became transparent, he saw 
him diving, he speared him with the ko, and pulled him into 
the canoe. Mangourutapena saw it, he uttered the proverb, 
“ The fault of the diving, let me take my dive to the stern.” 
That man entered the water, he dived down, Wakatau saw 
him, he poured out more oil from his calabash, he saw him 
clearly, he speared him with the ko, but only wounded his 
tongue, he was not killed, that man was left alive and suffered 
to swim back, this was all, Wakatau returned, when he 
reached the road, he called to his friends, I must go inland, 
do you take back the canoe to the kainga ; in the dawning 
of the morning, if a great redness arises in the sky Tihi-o- 
manono will be burnt, and the thousands of Poporokewa 
killed ; if there be but a faint redness in the sky, it will be 
a sign that I am killed by Poporokewa. When he had 
finished his friends returned with the canoe, he also went 
and arrived at the place ; they were busy carrying firewood ; 
he did the same and thrust his tiaha , weapon, within a 
* It appears they did not know what a canoe was then, they thought it was 
a bowl. 
