52 
MYTHOLOGY. 
is no saying what would have become of it; it certainly would 
have been anything but a desirable held for colonization. At 
Wanganui, there was a dreadful monster, who lived below 
the cliff, at Taumahauti, called Tutai-poro-poro; he was at 
last killed by Aukehu, whose canoe with all his party, had 
been swallowed up by the monster, but fortunately Aukehu 
himself, being last, made his escape by slipping out at the 
end of the canoe as it went down his throat; he then cut into 
his belly with his mira tuatini or knife, and let in the water which 
killed him. This monster originally came from Rotoaira to 
Retaruki and thence down the Wanganui. 
At Kapenga, on the Kainga roa plains, there formerly lived 
a Taniwha, named Hotu-puku. After having devoured great 
numbers of people, he was at last destroyed by a party of 
brave men from Rotorua ; they made strong ropes, and formed 
a large circular snare; stationing a party at each end of the 
rope, and sending another to entice the monster out of his 
den, as soon as he smelled the scent of men, he came out 
and pursued them; they retreated through the snare, he 
followed, and when the two parties who laid in ambush on 
either side of the road, saw that his head and shoulders 
had entered, they immediately pulled the ropes tight: the 
monster struggled very hard, they therefore drove strong 
stakes into the ground to which they made fast the ropes, when 
the entire party united and attacked the Taniwha, and at 
last despatched him. He was of an enormous size, being 
described by the Maori narrator as “ he puke puke whenua," 
a mountain, and when he was dead he was as large as a great 
whale, but covered with scales, and Avitli large spikes on his 
back. When they opened him, they found the remains of great 
numbers of persons, with weapons, green stone ornaments, &c. 
of all kinds, so that his stomach resembled te Avhare huata a 
Maui—the armoury of Maui. 
The same party, justly celebrated by this exploit, Avere 
immediately sent for to destroy another great Taniwha, who 
resided at the bottom of a deep fountain, called “ te Avharo 
uriwhen they reached the banks of the river, they repeated all 
their most potent incantations, the puni, the whakaruhi, the 
