MOKO or MAORI TATTOO By W. J. Phillipps Fig. 2. A type of tattoo as seen by Captain Cook—from a drawing by S. Parkinson. According to legend, Maori tattoo commenced with a quarrel between a husband and a wife in the ancient homeland of Hawaiki. The two people concerned were the man Mataroa, and the woman Niwareka. Now, Niwareka was descended from the ancient gods of Polynesia and her father Ue-tonga dwelt in Te Po-nui, the world of spirits. To him went Niwareka, who was admitted by Kuwatawata, the keeper of the entrance. Mataroa followed, well dressed and penitent. He was forgiven and united to Niwareka; but Uetonga criticised his son in law's tattoo which could be rubbed off with the hand; so Mataroa consented to be properly tattooed from head to foot. Thus only would Ue-tonga consent to Niwareka's return to the world of man. The tapu of the tattoo was removed by Ue-tonga and the couple started on their homeward journey; but at the gateway Mataroa overlooked or neglected to make the customary gift to the janitor, Kuwatawata. Kuwatawata reported this mistake to Ue-tonga who thereupon placed the penalty of unrelenting death on humanity. But the designs of the tattoo remained to be copied by all. Maori tattooing was no light operation; for it was carried out with a small bone chisel hafted to a handle which was tapped with a light piece of wood or even a fern stalk. A pigment, consisting usually of burned gum and black soot, was rubbed into the wound; and when the face healed, the deep lines of the tatoo furrowed the whole countenance. But it was a long and painful process during which