THE WHALE-BUILDERS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XVIII, Issue 1856, 1 September 1923, Page 7

THE WHALE-BUILDERS.

A MAORI LEGEND

(By Ivan Philips in the New Zealand Observer.)’ ( Long before the pakeha invaded their dominions the MaungateperiS were the undisputed rulers of the far north of Ao-tea-roa. The rangitira, Mum Pianga, reigned supreme. His word was law.

The Rangatanes, whose pah was some little distance from their powerful neighbour, were in constant fear of attack. However watchful their sentries, however valiant their guards, Muru’s warriors would swoop down like a wolf on the fold, and before the tribe of Rangatane could rally some hundreds of their braves would be no more, and the wahines' would be weeping for their lost ones. Also the chief, Heka Nauma, was going grey (if Maoris do go grey) owing to the neverending suit of Mura Piana for the hand of his daughter, Kahu, the belle of the tribe, and the cause of many a fierce fight between the stalwarts of the Rangatanes. Heka was determined that no dog of a. Maungapera, not even a rangitira, would have liis daughter, and despite his fear of his doughty neighbour, was not backward in saying so. Many were the bloody battles between the two tribes, and every little war would see the men of Heka grow weaker, while Mura always went triumphantly back, carrying many captives and women. At last one fatal day the whole of the weakeil tribe were piling* ed into mourning, for in last night’s battle Kahu, most beautiful girl in the north, was captured, torn from her womenfolk, and borne in triumph back to the enemy’s pah to be handed over to the big chief Mura. Kahu remained in the pah a full six moons, never being allowed out, and seldom seeing the beautiful Kapu Wairau (Spirit’s Bay) which stretched beneath, a glistening band of white sand. All this time the tohungas of the Rangatanes were scheming how to recover Kahu, and as moon after moon went by and no solution was forthcoming many a tohunga. met a, fearful death at the hands of Heka, the chief. As the winter came food got scarce, and even the fish could not be enticed to bite. The Rangatanes were, if anything, better off than their neighbours, owing to the foresight of their chief, who, during the months of plenty, had ordered to he stowed away dried shark and kumara.

At length a Minehara, dreamt a wonderful dream, in which lie saw the deliverance of Kahu and the downfall of Maru and his men. Heka, the chief, heard the dream with open mouth, and forthwith Mineliera’s plan was put into execution. Working at night only, so that not a breath of suspicion woidd reach Mura, and keeping the object of their labours ivell under cover, a huge imitation sperm whale fully 70 feet long was skilfully constructed of wood, flax and bark. So faithfully was the work done that even at close quarters it looked the real thing . At length the work was completed, and a favourable opportunity awaited.

One night when there was no moon 400 warriors shouldered the mammoth and carefully carried it down to highwater mark. Incidentally, they were armed to the teeth with greenstone meres, dubs and mauka spears. The whale was placed beneath, and to the west of the Maungateperis, about 500 yards from their pah. The Rangatanes .then lay close beneath, and under the monster, concealed from view, except from the sea. They lay there long, with a grim purpose. As the sun peeped over the eastern Jiills, a. whoop of joy rang out from the men of Muni. For .they liacj seen the whale. And . was. not food scarce? Truly the gods were good. They tarried not, hut the whole of the men folk out with one accord towards the whale and food. When they arrived at their goal they halted. Never before had they seen such a whale. Never before had they had such a vast supply of food and hone for clubs, thrown upon the beach for them. Once more they had beaten Heka’s men to it. As they momentarily delayed the Rangatanes rose up as one man, and with hate in their hearts and war cries on their lips fell upon their enemies, who, totally unprepared, were easy victims. Soon not a ' Ma.uugateperi was alive on the beach,-, which 10 minutes before had been so calm and peaceful.

In the meantime the whale-builders (as they were afterwards known) proceeded poet haste to the man-empty pah, and meeting, of course, no opposition. entered; the tale is told that literally hundreds of women were carried Off, some as ' slaves, and the younger ones as wives for those Bangatanes who had lost womenfolk in previous raids. Kahn was restored to her father Heka, while Minehera was made the second chief, and first toliunga. of the whole tribe, now supreme in the far North.