CHAPTER VI.
CLAIMING AND NAMING LAND.
Ihenga set out with four companions. He went in a different direction to that of his former journey. He now went by way of Mataparu, Te Hiapo, Te Whare-pakau-awe. When on the summit of the ridge he looked back towards Maketu, and greeted his home there. Then turning round he saw the steam of the hot springs at Ruahine. Believing it to be smoke from a fire, he said to his companions, "Ha! that land has been taken possession of by some one. Let us go on." They entered the forest, and having passed through it, came to a waterfall. Afterwards they came to a lake in which was a large island. Proceeding along the shore of the lake Ihenga gave names to various places. On arriving at a point of land jutting out into the lake, which he named Tuara-hiwi-roa, they halted; for they saw a flock of shags perched on the stumps of some trees in the lake. They made snares and fastened them to a pole to catch the shags, and placed the pole on the stumps of the trees. Presently the shags perched on the pole, and were caught in the snares, some by the legs and some by the neck. But the shags flew off" with the snares, pole and all. The young men thought they would alight in the lake, but Ihenga said, "No, they are flying on; they will alight on Te Motu-tapu-a-
