them; and when the day fixed by Kahu came he sent Ihenga in a canoe to catch fish to complete the ceremony of removing the tapu. The fish were caught, and two ovens were prepared to cook them—a sacred oven for the tohunga, or seers skilled in sacred lore—and a free oven for the tauira, or those being instructed in sacred lore. And when the food was cooked they assembled to eat it: the tohunga on the right hand fed each other by hand, and the tauira on the left ate freely their unsacred food. This was done to lighten the weight of the tapu, in order that they might be free. When all this was done, and they were no longer tapu, Hinetekakara became the wife of Ihenga.
The following morning Ihenga searched for the greenstone kaukaumatua, and found it in the place where Tuhoro had buried it. He then fastened it to the ear of Hinetekakara, bidding her go and show the treasure to her father. When Kahu beheld his lost treasure hanging from his daughter's ear he gave utterance to his feelings with tears and words of affection for his dead brother, and when the tangi or lament was ended, bid her keep the treasure for herself, and for her cousin.
Some time afterwards Hinetekakara conceived, and Ihenga went to catch kiwi for her turukanga.[1] He took with him his dog Potakatahiti, one of the same breed as the dog of the same name which was devoured by Toi and Uenuku.[2] Crossing the swamp Kawa, he went to
- ↑ Turakanga (=throwing down) was a ceremony in which a stick set up to represent the path of death was thrown down. A form of karakia was, at the same time, used.
- ↑ Vid: Sir G. Grey's "Mythology and Traditions," p. 63.
