Alas! for this day
Which now oppresses me.
I stretched out my hand
To the mate of Tirini.
Followed were my footsteps,
And charmed was returning love,
[pg 50] At Pirongia there.
This the dreaded tribe is undone,
And Whanawhana[34]
And I Rangi-pouri:[34]
I carried off the woman,
I the first aggressor:
I went to enter the house of Ruarangi,
To stretch out my hand,
To touch the Maori skin.
The boundary is oven-marked,
To prevent its being moved aside,
To guard the wife in safety.
He thought the power of his karakia would appear; but it could not conquer the devices of the Maori tohunga; for how could it prevail against the cooked food, and the oven-stoves, and the kokowai, and the many other devices of the tohunga. Hence it was seen that the power of karakia was not possessed by the Fairies. The only power given to them was to smother men.
[pg 51]
CHAPTER V.
THE MAORI CHIEF OF OLDEN TIME.
Θεὸς δ’ ὣς τίετο δήμῳ.—Homer.
The Chiefs who came from Hawaiki to Aotea-roa in the canoe Arawa were the following:—Tia, Maka, Oro, Ngatoroirangi, Maru-punganui, Ika, Whaoa, Hei, and Tama-te-kapua. After their canoe was hauled ashore at Maketu, these chiefs set out to explore the country, in order to take possession of land each for himself and his family.
Tia and Maka went to Titiraupenga, at Taupo, and there remained.
Oro went to Taupo, and thence to Wanganui.
Ngatoroirangi went to Taupo, and died at Ruapehu.