274 
TRADITIONS AND LEGENDS. 
the smoke to suffocate him, to this they all assented ; then 
they hoisted him up to the ridge pole and lighted the 
fire ; they began to haka, when they were tired of that 
they sang songs, but nothing was well done, all was very 
bad ; thus it was, night after night, until his father and 
brother found out where he was ; Tama heard that he was 
suspended from the roof of the house to be killed by the 
smoke, therefore, he thought he would go and see what 
was his state, whether he was still alive in the smoke ; 
he went in the night, when he arrived there, he climbed 
upon the roof of the house, and broke open a small place 
over the spot where he was suspended, then he asked, 
are you dead ? he whispered upwards, no, I am alive ; is 
the haka of this tribe good ? enquired his brother, what 
kind of haka is it ? he replied, no, it is very bad, they are 
always quarrelling amongst themselves on account of the 
badness of their dancing ; he whispered down to him, 
could you not speak to them below ? O never did I hear 
people haka so badly as the people of this tribe, and if they 
answer upwards have you the good haka, you say yes, if I 
were to haka you would know which was the right way, if 
they let you do so, then say I am filthy with the smoke, let 
me have some oil and a comb, also a feather to stick in 
my hair, if they give them, then say I am unfit to dance 
without a garment, give me the red pake of Uenuku, as a 
covering, and his maipi, then, indeed, when I am properly 
dressed you shall see the right way to haka, and, said 
Tama, I will be outside the house, and when you rush out I 
will fasten the door and stop the pursuers, I will close the 
window and the pilianga as well, and we shall both easily 
escape, thus he finished his talk with him. 
Wakaturia said to Uenuku, and those in the house, listen 
all of you who are hakaing there — they were attentive and 
cried hush — be quiet, hear what the fellow who is suspended 
has to say, we thought he had been dead before this with 
the stifling smoke, but no ! he is still alive ; all agreed ; 
then the people of the house spoke up to him, thou who art 
suspended above speak down ; truly indeed, what a wretched 
