53 
steps. An interesting notice ot their jour- 
ney is also given in the Missionary Register, 
and, as that publication is not now generally 
accessible, I will give a few extracts from if. 
“Tt became dark before we reached the vil- 
lage adjacent to the Reinga (Werahi). At 
first we could not find a single individual in 
the place, till we discovered three men 
crouched in a dark corner. We shook hands 
with two of them; the third was Wareware, 
a chief of some importance, and father of 
Te Morenga. On Mr Matthews holding owt 
his hand the old man drew back with a 
peculiar growl of displeasure, demanding 
what business we had there, telling us we 
had better be off, and adding, ‘Spear me! 
kill me!’ meaning that if we did so it would 
scarcely be a greater offence. This is the last 
village at this extremity of the island, and the 
only one, execpt Kahokawa, within many miles 
of the Reinga, the fabled departing-place of 
the New Zealanders,’”’ On the next morning, 
“leaving two of our lads in charge of the 
tents, about 8 a.m. we commenced our jour- 
ney to the Reinga. After the first ascent 
the road ran along the very edge of a tre- 
mendous rocky precipice; and in one sharp 
ascent the grass was so slippery that it was 
difficult to keep one’s feet. The descent to 
the rocks of the Reinga was rather better 
than the ascent, This brought us down to 
a little rill of water, called Wairatane, or 
Waioterata. The kehuas, or spirits, travel, 
it is said, alone the road which we had pas- 
sed, At one place, near Kahokawa, they 
stop for a parting look, and a long fare- 
well to the land of their fathers. Other 
spots on the road are marked by wakaaus, 
or tokens, to denote the restine places of 
the wearied spirits. These are little bundles 
of rush tied in a loose knot; a green bundle, 
of course, indicating a recent death, as each 
spirit, in passing, leaves his wakaau. On 
arriving at the Weairatane, some kehuas 
make a stop here, and then return. An old 
spirit stands waiting at the opposite side of 
the river with a stick or plank m his hand, 
which, on the arrival of a new-comer, he 
appears to lay down as a bridge. Siome- 
times his offer is rejected. ‘No,’ says the 
newly-arrived, ‘I mean to go back again.’ 
The case meant by this emblem is that of 
a native who has been, as we say, at death’s 
door, and has recovered. Sometimes the 
friends’ of the individual who has so recov- 
