Page:Maori Religion and Mythology.djvu/85

CH. vi. my net." And he then pointed to a mark on a distant cliff, caused by a landslip.

"Why, that is a landslip," said Tu.

"No," said Ihenga, "it is a net quite new. Look at that other net which is hanging up, and looks black; that is the old net."

Tu thought it must be as Ihenga said, so he agreed to leave the land, asking at the same time who lived on the island.

"The name of the island, said Ihenga, "is Motu-tapu-a-Tinirau. I named it."

Then said Tu, " Will you not consent to my living there?"

"Yes," said Ihenga, "you may go to the island." Thus the main land came to the possession of Ihenga.

Then Ihenga borrowed a small canoe belonging to Tu, and went on in search of his flock of shags. He found them hanging in a kahikatea tree near Waikuta. He called the stream by that name because of the plant kuta, which grew abundantly there. He named the land Ra-roa, because of the length of the day occupied in his canoe. He climbed the tree and threw down the birds, and placed them in the canoe. Then he went on and came to a river which he afterwards named Ngongotaha. There was a hill hard by to which he gave the same name. The hill belonged to the Patupaiarehe or Fairies. They had a Pa on the hill named Tuahu-ote-atua. He heard them playing on the putorino, the hoauau, and the putara; so he thought men must be