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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 74

Te Tahi of Ngati-Awa and the Taniwha

Te Tahi of Ngati-Awa and the Taniwha.

We begin again. Te Tahi-o-terangi was an ancestor of mine. He was taken to Whakaari by Ngati-Awa. The kausa of ko Tahi being left on that Island was this—he had the power of causing rain to descend, and he had produced rain at a time when it was not wanted by the tribe and a quantity of their crops were carried away by a flood. ?? Tahi was blamed for this and so he was marooned on Whakaari and left without food. The canoes of Ngati-Awa sailed away and left him. Te Tahi gazed after the fleet until the canoes were lost to sight. He then mounted a rock by the shore and called upon the host of the ocean demons to come to his assistance. They did so—a dreadful array of taniwha, marakibau and tupua. Te Tahi mounted upon a huge taniwha (watermonster) which conveyed him to the mainland. On approaching the canoes of Ngati-Awa the taniwha proposed to overturn them and destroy the people, but Te Tahi said, " Let us be forgiving, that we may gain a name for ourselves."§ On arriving at the shore the taniwha cast Te Tahi ashore on [unclear: the] point of Kohi at [unclear: Whakataoe]. At [unclear: the] time the canoes were also making [unclear: the] land. Te Tahi proceeded [unclear: along] shore having clothed him-elf [unclear: in] finest garments. He wore a [unclear: pre] roa and over that a toi. He [unclear: took] patu-paraoa in his hand. As [unclear: he] proached the vill ge the [unclear: people] "Can this be Te Tahi who is [unclear: con] No! He was left on Wh ka ri" they saw it was really he. [unclear: Teff] resided near the coast and [unclear: whes] after years he died at Opuru, [unclear: he] buried at that place. But [unclear: the] wha who had carried him ashore [unclear: c] and took his body away to the [unclear: o] Aud he still resides in the [unclear: ocean] sea-demon. This [unclear: happened] generations ago.