152 
MOKO, OR TATTOO. 
bit of flax. The pattern was first drawn either with charcoal 
or scratched in with a sharp-pointed instrument. To tattoo a 
person fully, is therefore a work of time, and to attempt to do 
too much at once, endangered the life. I remember a poor 
porangi, or insane person, who, during the war, was tattooed 
most unmercifully by some young scoundrels. The poor man’s 
wounds were so dreadfully inflamed, that they occasioned his 
death. 
During the time that any one was being tattooed, all persons 
in the pa were tapu, until the termination of the work, lest 
any evil should befal them. To have fine tattooed faces, was 
the great ambition of young men, both to render themselves 
attractive to the ladies, and conspicuous in war : for even if 
killed by the enemy, whilst the heads of the untattooed were 
treated with indignity, and kicked on one side, those which 
were conspicuous by their beautiful moko, were carefully cut 
off, stuck on the turuturu, a pole with a cross on it, and then 
preserved; all which was highly gratifying to the survivors, 
and the spirits of their late possessors. 
The person operated upon was stretched all his length on 
the ground, and to encourage him manfully to endure the pain, 
songs were continually sung to him. The following is one 
which was used on such occasions :— 
He tangata i te wakautu, 
Ki ata wakanakonako, 
He tangata wakautu kore, 
Kumckumea kia tatalii, 
E hiki Tangaroa, 
E hiki Tangaroa. 
Patua kite waka tangitangi, 
E hiki Tangaroa hai, 
Tangata te kitea, 
Te waihanga patua, 
Ki te wakatangi tangi, 
E hiki Tangaroa hai. 
He who pays well, let him be 
beautifully ornamented; 
But he who forgets the operator, 
let him he done carelessly. 
Be the lines wide apart. 
0 hiki Tangaroa, 
0 hiki Tangaroa. 
Strike, that the chisel as it cuts 
along may sound. 
0 hiki Tangaroa. 
Men do not know the skill of the 
operator in driving his sounding- 
chisel along. 
0 hiki Tangaroa. 
This song was chiefly to remind the gentleman of the duty 
