powers of magic, for he was a noted tohunga (priest, warlock, magician, shaman), and was high priest of the famous pouahu, or sacred place, at Whakatane. Tama heard of the above project, and declined to be left behind. He also managed to give his fellow-voyagers a fright. He bored a hole in the bottom of the canoe, and when they had lost sight of land pulled out the plug with which he had stopped the hole. The water flowed in until the crew became alarmed, nor could they find the baler until Tama, who had concealed it, produced it. He had also caused the wind and sea to rise by means of his magic rites (ka hikaia te hau, me te kino o te moana).

So the famed “Aratawhao” sailed forth from Whakatane upon the sea of Toi, and headed for the far-away isles of Polynesia. And this was the act which caused such an important change in the lives and domestic economy of the old-time people of New Zealand. For by the acquisition of the kumara they became an agricultural people, and by their voyage to Hawaiki they were the cause of the famous historic fleet of “Te Arawa,” “Tainui,” “Matatua,” “Aotea,” &c., coming to New Zealand. Had these people known that ere long they would lose their old-time power and prestige through the coming of a more energetic class of Polynesians, it is probable that Taukata and Hoaki would have met with a different reception than that accorded them, and that the title of “Wood-eaters” would have been applicable to the descendants of Toi for many more years.

But these old Vikings wot not of the buffetings which fate held in store for them, so sailed they across the great ocean to the home of their visitors. Still does the voyage of “Te Arata-whao” live in song and story among the descendants of Toi, the Wood-eater, and still they recite the tales of daring deeds performed by their ancestors in the days of the long ago.

After the long voyage across the Great Ocean of Kiwa, the “Aratawhao,” battered and worn from her long cruise, arrived at Hawaiki, the home of Rongoatau, father of Taukata and Hoaki, who lived at Te Whakao.

On arriving at Hawaiki, Hoaki visited one Maru-tai-ranga-ranga, a chief of those parts, who greeted him with the following song:—

E hika' E hika!
Ka uea koe i runga te ata ura
Ki runga te ata mea
Maku e ki atu, pikitia e koe
I runga te ngaru nui
I runga te ngaru roa
Waerea e koe i tai
Ka pupuke i runga o te Moana nui a Kiwa
E takoto nei

Hurihanga a ngaru
Ki waho ki te moana
Turua mai e koe
Ki a Tu-hikitia, ki a Tu-hapainga
Aua mai nuku, aua mai rangi
Rukuhia e koe i te ruku i te kawau
Koia te rangi e tu nei—e—i.

As the people gathered round to greet him, Hoaki said to Maru, “Sir, I have a party with me.” “Who are they?” inquired Maru. “They are the descendants of Toi.” “For what purpose have they come?” “They tasted the dried kumara that we took with us, hence they have come to obtain the seed for planting.”

So the voyagers obtained their seed, which was procured at Pari-nui-te-ra and at Ngaruru-kai-whatiwhati.

Below are given some of the incantations and spells used by the crew of the “Aratawhao”:—

Ka kikaia ko te hau.

The above spell is termed a rotu; it is recited in order to calm the angry surges, to calm the boisterous winds. The following is termed a tata; it is repeated while a canoe is being baled out when at sea:—

Pa atu hoki taku tata
Ki te riu tapu nui o te waka
E haere nei
Rei kura, rei ora
Rei ora te mahaki
Ka turuturua, ka poupoua
Ki tawhito o te rangi—e.

The following is the awa of “Te Aratawhao.” The awa is an incantation used in order to render the course of a canoe calm and easy to pursue—to smooth the way for her. The word awa bears the meaning of “channel, course of a vessel”:—

Tu mai awa, tu mai awa
Ko koe kai (kei) takahia noatia e au
Ta peau nuku, ta peau rangi
(or tupe au nuku, tupe au rangi)

Whati ki runga, whati ki raro
Ma uru marara
Pera hoki ra taku manu nui na Tano
Ka tatau atu ki roto nuku ngaere
Mai a whiwhia, mai a rawea
Mai a whakatakaia
Ka taka te huki rawea
Koro i runga, koro i raro
Koro i Tawhirimatea
Ki kona hoki koe tu mai ai
Ka hura te tamatea nunui
Ka hura te tamatea roroa
Te kauwaka nuku, te kauwaka rangi
Te ai a nuku, te ai a rangi
Te kura mai hukihuki
Te kaweau tetere
Kawea a nuku, kawea a tai
Oi! Tumatakokiritia
Hoatu waka ki uta
Hoatu waka ki waho
Ngaru hinga atu, ngaru hinga mai
I runga te tama-wahine
I raro te tama-tane
Huki nawenawe
Tenei te awa ka whakairi
Ko irirangi te waka
Ko irirangi te tangata.

Such was the awa of “Te Aratawhao,” which smoothed her path across the great waters, and sped her on her way.

Here followeth the ruruku of the “Aratawhao,” which is a spell recited in order to “bind” a vessel, to keep her seaworthy, &c.:—

Ka timata te ruruku o te waka, ka rukutia te kei o te waka, me te ihu.

In regard to the return of these voyagers from the shores of Hawaiki, native authorities of the Whakatane district are unanimous in stating that the “Aratawhao” never returned to New Zealand, but that she was abandoned or left at Hawaiki

with Hoaki. But her crew returned here on the “Matatua” canoe, and, so say some, also on the “Takitumu,” which latter is doubtful. If the “Takitumu” canoe was contemporary with “Horouta,” then she obtained some six generations or so before the time of Tama-ki-hikurangi and “Te Aratawhao.” Ngatiawa state that on the arrival of “Te Aratawhao” at Hawaiki the people there were attracted by the accounts of New Zealand, hence many of them migrated hither, bringing with them the crew of the “Aratawhao.” This migration was the historic one of “Te Arawa,” “Tainui,” “Aotea,” “Matatua,” and other vessels, and took place about the fourteenth century. Some assert that the crew of the “Aratawhao” made a prolonged stay at Hawaiki prior to returning to Whakatane. If Irakewa visited New Zealand before “Matatua” arrived, then he must have come after Taukata arrived, for it was the latter's visit here that caused the excitement about the kumara. The “Matatua” canoe was constructed expressly for the purpose of bringing a number of Polynesian migrants to New Zealand, as also the “Aratawhao” crew. It also brought seed kumara to Whakatane, and this was the undoing of our old friend Taukata; for when the men of Whakatane obtained the seed kumara at the hands of their Hawaikian friends, the latter said to them, “When you arrive home be careful in the storing of your seed, and when it is placed in the store, then conduct our friend Taukata into the storehouse, and there slay him, even that his blood be spilt within, and do you also sprinkle his blood upon the door, kei hoki mai te kura ki Hawaiki, lest the mauri of the kumara return to Hawaiki.” Even so was Taukata, the bold Polynesian voyager, slain as a sacred human sacrifice to the gods of the Maori. And for many years after the skull of Taukata was brought from the cave in which it was kept, in the planting season, and deposited on the edge of the cultivation, and in each eye-socket was placed a seed kumara, while the officiating priest performed certain rites in order to cause the crop to be a plentiful one, and to prevent the mauri—that is to say, the vitality, or vital essence, or fertility—of the kumara from returning to Hawaiki.

Tama-ki hikurangi acted as pilot for the “Matatua” canoe on the voyage from Hawaiki to Whakatane.

Toroa, the commandant of “Matatua,” is said to have married a granddaughter of Rongoatau at Hawaiki, but found another wife when he came to Whakatane.

Rongoatau

Tuturu-whatu

Iri-a-rangi = Toroa = Te Paerere-i-waho.