Punua
(Nga-rauru)

Punua (young of animals) the chief of Pa-tea (fair fort) was the man who located Kahu-kura (red garment) at Pa-tea (fair fort) and it was after that time that Whiti-kau-peka (swim ……….) went into that district, to the home of his ancestors called Mokai-pa-tea (pet of Pa-tea) Tama-tea (fair son) Whatu-mamao (weave at a distance) Rongomai-tara (daring of the whale) Hau-iti (little scrap of hair) and Moko-tua-iwa (ninth lizard).

Moko-tua-iwa attacked the Nga-ti-hotu tribe, and took their forts called A-kura (the plume) Pae-tutu (ridge of the hill of the coriaria ruscifolia) Nga-pu-karamu (the plots of coprosma) and Hakoro-pera (old man like that).

We are the descendants of Whiti-kau-peka (swim another way) and his influence and power was never overthrown nor was it ignored by death, want of bravery, defeat in battle or of fort taken.

When Werewere (hanging) an ancestor of ours was murdered by another tribe, Whiti-kau-peka was sought unto by the descendents of Werewere and he took ample revenge for the murder of Werewere.

When the Nga-ti-apa were defeated by their enemy, that is when their fort was taken, those who escaped fled to me at Patea (fair fort) and Whiti-kau-peka took revenge for their defeat.

The Nga-ti-apa killed Ripo-a-rangi (eddy of the sky) and Tu-ope his child (god of war of a body of people) was taken alive, then Whiti-kau-peka avenged the death, and killed Takinga (tracking) and Te-rewanga (the afloat) and retook Tu-ope, and when Tu-ope saw that his lord was dead he said this "Feet of my lord nipped up, I will take all".

All you tribes of this Island know that Whiti-kau-peka had the most powerful hand at Pa-tea, as Tu-whare (stand in the house) also had the strongest hand at Tau-po (bark at night). There is much new talk of these days of which I am ignorant, but leave such, there are many years in which such can be learnt.

The discovery of the axe Te-awhio-rangi
(Nga-rauru)

All the tribes of this (North) Island have heard, and have not seen this axe Te-awhio-rangi (go round the sky) nor have we the Nga-rauru tribe seen it till now, though ours was the tribe who hid this axe, which hiding of this axe was done by Rangitaupea (heaven bowed down) and from his time to us is seven generations, and now for the first time have we of this generation seen this axe Te-awhio-rangi, and this is the reason we have allowed our dependant to carry this news where ever he may go, so that all tribes may know (that this ancient axe has been found).

We own a home near to Wai-totara (water of the podocarpus totara) called O-Kotuku (food of the white crane) and there were about twenty people at the place who were collecting the edible fungus called Hakekakeka to sell at Wai-totara. Now these people accompanied by a young woman named To-mai-rangi (dew) the wife of Te-potonga-kai-awha (the short defy the storm) and this young woman was a stranger to this part of the country, and she did not know the sacred places in this district, nor did she know where the dead were deposited, as she had come from the Nga-i-tahu (of the South Island) as her mother was of the tribe and her father was of our tribe the Nga-rauru, she with the other people of O-Kotuku went to collect fungus, and she went by herself and she saw a tree on which was much fungus growing, so she went to it took the fungus with her hand, when a flash of light came from the axe, and she looked in the direction from which the flash came, and she saw the axe standing up against the root of a Pukatea (atherosperma novae-zelandiae) and she began to call aloud and cry in dread and lightning and thunder were seen and heard and snow fell, and she lost her senses and she cried as she fled, and her husband heard her cry, and an old many called Rangi-whakairi-one chanted incantations.

page (197)

and all the Nga-rauru people assembled on the open plain, and that old man asked "Who of you have been to Tieke (creadion carunculatus)?"

The young woman asked "Where is Tieke?"

The old man said "It is at the head of Wai-one (water of soil)."

Tomai-rangi (dew) (the young woman wife of Te-potonga-kai-awha) said "I did not know that that place was sacred, but I saw one thing there, and it was like a god and great was my fear". So some people were sent to look at the place as they all knew it must have been the axe Te-awhio-rangi she had seen, and then they found it with the guardians that is the descendants of Tu-tangata-kino (god of sudden death) and Moko-hiku-waru (eight tailed lizards) these insects and lizards Rangi-whakairi-one charmed with chanting incantations towards them, which when he had ceased to chant, the axe was brought away by them over which they wept, and they brought the axe, and laid it down some short distance from the settlement.

The place where this axe had been deposited by the men of old had been known to all the Nga-rauru tribe, as Rangi-taupea (heaven bent down) had told his descendants where he had hid this axe, and this is what he said "The axe Te-awhio-rangi is deposited at Tieke, on the open country a little above the cave where the dead are deposited", and that spot has not been visited by any one since that time, and it is only now on the 10^th day of December 1887 that it has been visited. Then about three descendants of the Nga-rauru tribe and some of the Whanga-nui natives and some of the Nga-ti-apa people assembled, and on the eleventh of the month (December) the axe was to be exhibited to the people at about five o'clock in the morning, the axe had been hung up in a tree that all the people might be able to see it, page (197A)and the people proceeded to where the axe was hung up and the Maori Priests went before them in proceeding from the settlement to where the axe was hung up, and the Priest called Kapua-tautahi (one cloud only) and Werahiko-tai-puhi (Tide of the gale) went before them chanting all the way they went and the people following, the people carried, each a mat in their hands, as an offering to the axe Te-awhio-rangi, and just as they carried to where the axe was thunder was heard and lightning seen and a mist caused darkness like that of night; and the Priests chanted incantations, and light again came, and the people laid the Taputapu mats down, and other native mats, these consisted of six parawai (d) and four Korowai (koroai) four para-toi two dog skin mats, when these had been spread out before the axe all the people began to weep, and when they had wept before the axe for some time, they began to sing a song for the axe, which was this,

I am sitting near the entrance of my house
Of Te-ao-kai-Whitianga-te-ra
(day of food shone on by the sun)
But my ears are tingling with discordant words.
In what house was kept the flax
By which was made the plaited rope for nought.
I have some flax which grew on
Te-aro-au-ahi, Te-aroaro-matangi
And Te-whakararau-o-te-rangi.
Divide the head of heaven at Te-whakapakinga
And make the sacred rope for the gods of my axe.
I thought that if I threw them on shore to Tane
Or to the sea to Tanga-roa-hiringa-wareware
And Ika-wareware, then your mushroom ears
Or ears like basket kept to hold cooked shark
page (197B) As Te-whakaipuipu was the cause of Maru
In which no fish (killed warriors were seen)
Nor could they tell of history of man,
From days when man was first created,
When our progenitor was first baptized,
And all the gods were kept in night
And Tu-rou-poko-hina (Tu-rou of grey head)
Could not be seen, to plant his medium god.
When Hahau-tu-noa, the canoe of
Te-kahui-rua, was dived beneath by
Nga-whatu, and he came up with
Te-whatu-a-nga-hue, and then the
Land was burst asunder into mountains
Then was seen the mountain called the
Tumutumu-ki-rangi-whakarawea to Kewa
And the ancient offspring of the land then
Sent afloat to Maui, that is Te-iho
And Teretere-ki-ao Kopu-huri
Was the slain, but hearken now it is not
By act of Te-toki-ihu-wareware, the offspring
Of Hine-poa-ra-pawake, but mine
Were the ancestors crossed back across the sea
Whose name was Toro-kaha at Te-rangi-amio
Was the name of their canoe. O my canoe
Held much and great her cargoes was,
Her name was Toro-haki-uaua
And she held the slain of Whaka-mere.
But what was thy canoe?, a fair weather canoe
To carry cloths and food of Parareka (marattia salicina)
Taroa (self sown kumara) and Ngoringori (small black eel).

But there are many songs relating to the axe Te-awhio-rangi (go round the sky).

But o people of all these Islands (of New Zealand) the axe Te-awhio-rangi is a red looking axe, and is not page (197C)unlike in appearance of the substance of which a china cup is made but it is also speckled like the stomach of the bird Whaka-rau-roa (pipi-wharau-roa, chrysocaceys lucidus) but this axe is only like its self, and if it were hung up you could see your face reflected in it, it is one foot six inches long, and the sharp point is six inches, and it is one inch thick, and the sharp side is two and a half inches long and the sharp point is made not unlike the heti (    ) of the European in shape.

O friends all the tribes of these Islands (New Zealand). The keep sake of our ancestor Rua-titi-pua (pit of the shining seen) is now welcoming you, it was sought by Rua-titi-pua from amongst the Kahui-kore (flock of the nothings) and as it came up (into sight) it was the kernel of Nga-hue-i-te-rangi and was of Tane at the time when Rangi and Papa embraced each other, at which time Tane cut the sinews of these two and they went apart.

When Rangi and Papa separated then Tane was called Tane-toko-rangi (Tane the lifter or prop of heaven) and then Te-awhio-rangi was empowered to represent all the axes of the world, and the head of the axe Te-awho-rangi is called Te-rangi-whakakapua (the heaven of clouds) and the line by which it is tied to its handle is called Kawe-kai-rangi (take up to heaven) and the handle is called Mata-heihei (face of the foam of a wave) and the rain-bow seen in the sky is called Whakawhana-i-te-rangi (pride of heaven). The axe came with unsullied power from Tane-toko-rangi and is still unsullied to the time of Kakau-maui (left handed handle), and down to the time of Turi (deaf) and to his first born son Te-hiko-o-te-rangi (the flash of heaven) and this axe was an heir-loom handed down through the generations of lords to the time of Rangi-taupea (bowed heaven) who placed it on his sacred mountains that is on Tieke and Moe-rangi (sleep in heaven).

There is also another song for this axe, but I will page (197D)to quote this from about the middle of this song, which is this,

Rangi is carrying his axe called
Te-awhio-rangi, and he is
Plaiting his rope called
Te-rangi-whiri-rua of
Pare-te-rangi-whakakapua
But when held low down
In battle it was called
Te-kaha-a-paepae-i-whakarawea
And when Waro-uri ……….
Then the axe is given to Tane
And it is called Te-mau-tonga-tea
The axe with the fine sharp point
And when used to cut on man
It turns and is laid on Moe-rangi:

Friends we have this axe in our possession, we the Nga-rauru have it now, we who reside at Wai-totara.

(181A to follow this)