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MANNER OF HUNTING THE RAT. 
Ko taitai unuhanga, 
Te poa ki runga, 
Te poa e rangi, 
Te poapoa tukia, 
Poahaunga, 
Poa kakara tukia ki tenei, 
Poa haunga Id tenei poa, 
The tap tap drawing forth 
The bait above, 
The bait of heaven, 
The bait giving out its fragrance, 
The bait strong smelling, 
The bait giving out its fragrance, 
The strong smelling bait, this is 
the bait. 
They commonly caught several hundred in one hunting, and 
were out many days. When all the rats taken were collected 
together, then they made first an oven —hangi atua —in which 
they put a rat, as an offering of the first fruits of the chase to 
the Atua. This was lifted up 
used the following karakia :— 
Te kaha ko ia unuhanga, 
Ko ia komokanga, 
Ko ia puakanga ki waho, 
He popo, popo ngaruru, 
Te huia mai, 
Te katoa mai, 
Ko taumaha atu ki tau, 
Maha a rongo, 
Ka ma tama kiri, 
Ka ma te ware rakau, 
Te rangi akinga, 
A Ware Rakau, 
on a stage, and then the priest 
The smell is drawn out, 
It enters the nostrils, 
It spreads in the air, [ranee, 
The bait is perceived by its frag- 
The assembling, 
The numbering, 
The thanksgiving, 
To Rongo, [trees, 
Tor the rats living in the barks of 
Por that is their house, 
Rangi akinga, 
The son of Ware Rakau. 
A second oven was made, in which two rats were cooked. 
This was sacred to the priest. A third oven had about ten in 
it; this also was for the priest. A fourth had a larger number 
in proportion to those employed in the hunt; for whom it was 
sacred. The fifth oven had a still larger number in it, for all 
in common; but no one touched the food until the offering 
and karakia to the atua had been made. 
The general size of the rat is about one-third that of the 
Norway. It was formerly very abundant; but now, from one 
cause or other, it is nearly extinct. The two grand enemies 
to it are the cat and imported rat. This little animal is said 
to run only in a straight line. If the roads made for it were 
