AMUSEMENTS. 
347 
diameter than our English one, but in other respects just the 
same. 
He ivaij or maui. — Cat's-cradles is a game very similar 
to ours, but the cord is made to assume many more forms, 
and these are said to be different scenes in their mythology, 
such as Hine-nui-te-po, mother night bringing forth her 
progeny, Maru and the gods, and Maui fishing up the land, 
men, canoes, houses, &c., are also represented. Some state 
that Maui invented this game. 
He pin. — The skipping-rope. Two generally hold the rope, 
whilst a third skips over it; sometimes one end is tied to a 
post, and another twirls the rope, while several jump over at 
the same time, it is also used by one person, the same as 
with us. 
He morere. — He moari. — This is a lofty pole, generally 
erected near a river, from the top of which about a dozen 
ropes are attached ; the parties who use it take hold of them, 
and swing round, going over the precipice, and, whilst doing 
so, sometimes let go, falling into the water ; occasionally 
serious accidents have thus occurred by striking the bank. 
Te takaro ringaringa , or wrestling, is a very general amuse- 
ment of young men, who pride themselves on their skill 
in throwing one another, as much, perhaps, as our own 
countrymen have ever done. 
Te para mako consisted in throwing sharp-pointed sticks 
at each other, and skilfully warding them off, by turning the 
body away when they saw the dart coming. Sometimes 
an unskilful person lost his life in playing this game. 
Te para , or para toitoi , was a more harmless game ; it 
consisted in throwing the reed-like stalks of the toitoi, 
blunted, at each other ; this was a boy's game. 
Te taurumaki , variously called, taururumaki or taurumaki - 
makij is played in the water, and consists in one person 
trying to keep the other under the longest ; thus one was 
frequently almost drowned by the other. 
Te teka, or neti, is a game played with fern stalks, which 
are darted to see who can throw them the furthest. 
He ti , or tii, is a game played with the fingers ; also the 
