This is the way he did that thing. He cut three fathoms of wood. The oven was three fathoms long and three wide. Heap up the wood the first day, and carry by sea the stones for the oven.
Do not take the stones of the marae, for the marae receives the evil spirits, the spirit of the god of the night.
The first night of the ceremony, the sorcerers of Raiatea, Tupua and his kind, march around the oven. They seek the spirits of the men of the night, and they go about the oven, but they do not light the fire.
That same night one goes to find the sacred leaves of the ti. He takes the leaves that float in the wind; those called raoere ti, and which are used as medicine. He gathers the leaves and carries them to the oven.
The fire is lighted at four of the morning. When the fire is burning brightly, and the oven is very hot, the sorcerer gives his assistants charge of the fire, and instructs them as to their duties.
When the flames are down, Tupua approached the oven, and before walking upon it, he pronounced the following prayer.
“O men about the oven! Piraeuri and Piraetea! Let us join the army of the gods in the furnace!”
Then, said Tupua:
“O water, go in the fire! O sea water, go in the fire!”
Waving the ti leaves on the border of the oven, Tupua said: