THE VALLEY OF THE SCRATCHED STONE.

New Zealander, Volume XV, Issue 1366, 21 May 1859, Page 3

THE VALLEY OF THE SCRATCHED STONE.

In our lust chapter of notes on <l the Auckland Lake Season, 1859,” we gave as closely as we could a version of the native legend respecting the singular Scratched Stone in the valley connecting Lakes Rotorua and Tarawera. At the same time we intimated that our version was a very general and probably not very accurate one. A perusal of the chapters on the Mythology of New Zealand, in the Rev. R. Taylor’s Te Jta a Maui , both shows us where we were deficient in information, and supplies us with the details re quisite to make our account more complete. We give the legend entire, as narrated by the reverend gentleman : —•

Besides gods the natives [prior to their conversion •n Christianity] believed in the existence ot oucr hcin ,T s, who lived in communities, built pas, and were occupied with pursuits similar to those of men. 1 hese were called Patu-paearehe. Their chief residences were on the tops of lofty hills, and they arc said to have been the spiritual occupants of the country prior to the nrrival of the Maori, and to retire as they advance. The Wanganui natives state that when they hist came to reside on the banks of the river, almost all the chief heights were occupied by the Patu-paearehe, who gradually abandoned the river, ami that cvpn until a few generations ago they had their favourite haunts there. These mav he accounts of an aboriginal race mixed with fable ; —there are several things to warrant the idea that the Maori were not the fhst inhabitants of the land. . . , The Pata-. iwarehe were only seen m the morning, and are repre . ued as being white, and clothed in white garments of the same form and texture as their own • in fact, thev mav be called the children of the mist. They are supposed to he of large size, and maybe regarded as glows, although in some respects they resemble our fairies. They arc seldom seen alone, but generally in large numbers ; they arc loud speakers, and delight in playing on the pntor.no (flute); they are said to nurse their children m their arms, the same as Europeans, and not to carry them m the Maori ,tvlo on the hack or hip. Their faces arc papatca, not tattooed, and in this respect also, thev resemble Kuroncans. They hold long councils, and sing very him! ‘ they often go and sit in cultivations, which arc completely filled with them, so as to he frequently mistaken for a vf»r p-«rty ; but they never injure the ground; the only harm they appear 10 be guiitv of, hj that of entering the whnro punt, or hot-houses of the natives, and smiting the inmates, so that for a time I—iob.Li it i. only the Mau kuo, or who arc able to discern them. These quickShted gentry wen- not aware of the noxious effects o( U,e fumes of charcoal, with which their houses ' V ThebS in the Patu-paearehe is very general; manv have affirmed to me. that they have repeatedly met with them. Albinos are said to be their ottspnng, Ind they are accused of frequently surprising women in the bush. The following is an account of a man Ircing caught bv a Patu-paearehe lady, which is, therefore, a rerv interesting circumstance Kurangii-tuku was a Putu-paearchc. a gnn ess in stature- she was like a tree, her fingers and nails were extremely lomg, with these she was accustomed to so 'ar her game, which chiefly consisted of pigeons and 5T S. i,, when she « on. hnnnng, she came to a large totara tree, in which she espied a SUod roosting; she sent her long nails completely Uirough the trunk of the tree. A chief, named Ilaturu. was also out spearing birds at the same time lie likewise saw the bird from the opposite side of the tree but did not perceive the lady until her nails appeared through the tree; and at the same tune she saw Ihe here (barb) of his spear, which had likewise penetrated to her side. She looked around with astoni-h----ment, and perceived Hatupatu. It was the first tune she had ever seen a man, so she captured him alive, and carried him to her house, ns a mokai, or pet. This lady appears to have been a great ornithologist, and her house was a regular aviary, being filled with every kind of bird, which she tended with great care; Sgst these she placed her new capture, doubtless considering him a very rare specimen. Here lie remained some time, until he began to be weary and anxious to escape. She. however, treated him with great kindness, and carefully provided lor bis support. One dav .‘ c asked him what food be would like to have- h&ftplied. some birds. She then enquired, pae}lta■>’ What ridge or range of hills was she to go to for them? Was she to go to the first? He said. no. Was she to go to the second range? He replied, still further. She continued asking him, until she demanded whether she was to go to the sixth range, which was very far off He then said, yes, in order that he might have time to escape whilst she was going so tar tor the birds. Kurangai-tuku did not much relish so long a walk, still she very good-naturedly set off, and rapidlv strode from pae to pae, or from one range to nuother, lor though she went bare foot, ycl she seemed to possess the virtue of the seven-leagued boots. Hatupatu in the meantime stopped up all the holes and crevices of the house with muka (flax), that none of the birds might escape to inform thc.r mistress of his departure; but he overlooked one very bale hole. When he crept out of the house, he carefully closed the door after him; the riro-riro. winch is the least ot all the New Zealand birds, perceived the small opening which had been left, and a -ged to squeeze her little bodv through it; sb au sooner done so, than She flew straight to her mistress, exclaiming. Jvurangai t u ku—e—ka riro a tana hangal riro, riro, nro. )ur property is escaped, it is gone, gone, gone. Hence has this' little wren derived its name, nro-rm,. bhe at once returned, and Kuraca Warona stretching out her legs and dragging them onward, she was soon at home, and snuffing up the wind, quickly found the direction he had taken, and immediately set olt alter him and Krnnea Warona: she soon came in sight, and nearly reached hj m, whilst he was approaching a steep cliff Now Hatupatu was the youngest son ol his mother, and to make up lor such a great disadvantage. Ids kind and considerate grandmother hud bestowed a very powerful charm upon him—he had not a minute to spare—he therclore immediately put it to the test, and pronounced the spell, matiti, maUiia, open am cleave asunder. The powerful words were no sooner uttered, than the rock obeyed; it at once opened and received him into it, and then closed again. Kurangaituku immediately afterwards reached the spot, aid was strangely puzzled to find out what had beconr oi Hatupatu. She began scratching about with her long nails on the rock, exclaiming, Ina ano koc, e liana. Where have you pot to, O liana? which is short for his name. Now, if you ever go from Rotorua to larawera, and ask your guide, he will show you these marks of her scratches, which still remain on the lace of the rock, several inches deepWhen Hatupatu thought that she had gone away, he came out again at some distance from the spot he entered. But she was too sharp-sighted to nnss him; again was she in full chase, ami Kumea Warona would have overtaken him, but perceiving his danger, he again uttered the potent words, matiti , malala; the earth, obedient to the spell, opened at once and received him. Puzzled at Ins strange disappearance, she again scratched about and cried, Ina ano koe e liana? Arc you here, Hana? After some time, he once more ventured from his hiding place, but she soon caught sight of him, and pursued: he cried out to a tuft of toe-loe, matiti matata, or, as another account states, tatenga tatanga; it immediately lifted up itself, and he went under, thus she was again disappointed in her search. The last lime he entered the ground, he came out behind Oliinemotu, near a ngawha, or boiling spring. The ground around these is generally only formed of a very thin deposit of stone, which arches over a large portion of the gulf, and poor Kurangai-tuku Stepping upon this, it was too weak to bear her great weight, she fell in, and was boiled. The name of that hot spring is Wnka-rewa-rewa, [The unfortunate white giantess seems to have hat? two names, Knrangai-tuku and Kumea Warona.]