NATIVE BAPTISM. 
75 
it with a small branch of the kokomiko or karamu. This 
act was called lie tohinga lei te wai, and is their baptism. The 
naming of the child was called te tuatangci, or pana pananga . 
After this was done, three ovens of food were made; the 
first, which was a very small one, only contained one little 
basket of food; this was for the tino ariki (chief priest). 
The second at Taupo, where the female priests were the most 
highly esteemed, had a similar quantity ; this was for one of 
them. The third oven was a very large one, contained food 
sufficient for all the guests. In the first oven a korimako was 
cooked ; this is the sweetest singing bird of New Zealand : it 
was eaten that the child might have a sweet voice, and become 
an admired orator. 
Taku kokomako wakahau My korimako teacher come 
No nga rake manawa From the dense forest 
Ki te tatika i pimgarehu. To the shore of pungarehu. 
In imitation of this bird, which only sings in the morning, 
the high chiefs give their commands, and scold their slaves, 
with the first dawn of the day. 
The form of baptism was rather different in the northern 
part of the island to that of the south. There, when the 
infant was eight days old, the parents and friends assembled 
near an appointed place, by the side of a running stream. The 
priest procured a branch of the karamu (coprosma lucida), 
which was stuck upright in the water; the navel string of the 
child was then cut off with a piece of shell, and fastened to 
the branch; the water which flowed round the rawa (branch) 
was sprinkled over the child, when it received its name ; some¬ 
times it was immersed. The following karakia was used :— 
Tohia te tama nci ; 
Kia riri, kia nguha ; 
Ka waka taka te watu; 
Ka tolii ki tai mo tu; 
Karo tao, karo mahuta; 
Te toa rere, te toa mahuta; 
Karo patu, karo tao ; 
Sprinkle this boy; 
Let him flame with anger; 
The hail will fall; 
Dedicate him to the god of war; 
Ward, ward off the spears, let them 
pass off; 
Be nimble to jump about; 
Shield off the blow, shield off the 
spear; 
