in which he may proclaim the high descent of the child, and the proud mother carrying her baby amongst the various kaingas on the coast will afterwards sing this song to establish her child in her rightful place amongst the people. This accomplished, the tohunga recites the famous stories of old, the battles won, the famous warrior leaders, the spots made famous in the history of the tribe. The lullaby composed by Te Pakaru begins by referring to the child's cry for food. Thus “Hush!! hush! my son crying for food”. Having struck this note, the composer uses it as the motive for introducing the story of how the kumara was brought from Parinui-te-ra in Hawaiki. This is one of the tohunga lullabies of the race, which cannot be properly understood unless one is familiar with the traditions and customs of the ancestors of the Maori. The lullaby composed by Te Rangitakoru of Ngati Apa for his daughter, Wharaurangi, should be of special interest to readers in the Wellington province:— Oh, my daughter, when you came from afar, And your hands were formed and your feet and your face Oh! then was launched Kurahaupo, the canoe of Ruatea. You and I embarked in the Aotea, the canoe of Turi, We forded the Whenuakura at its mouth Then was founded the house of Rangitahi. Planted was the kumara, and the karaka was sown In the lands bordering the sea. Hau took up some sand, in his hand he held the staff of Turoa When he crossed the river, he found it wide and called it Whanganui Where he splashed the water, that was Whangaehu Then a tree was felled—that was Turakina He lifted his feet many times and so; Rangitikei When his heart sank within him, that was Manawatu When the wind whistled past his ears, he called the place Hokio The small river he called after himself—Ohau Where he carried his staff levelled out was Otaki Where he prayed, O daughter, it was Waimea When he looked out of the corner of his eye—Waikanae When he became weary, there, my daughter, you will see Wairaka He cast a spell over her and she was fixed above and below as a rock in the sea When his eyes glistened with delight, He called the place Wairarapa This was the rejoicing of your ancestor, o daughter. This oriori, then, gives the origin of the names of every settlement from Wanganui to Wairarapa, and is a striking example of the manner in which some of our Maori place names originated. The lullably composed by Hautu in honour of Te Parekanga is another tohunga song. It deals with the skill of the woman in handicraft in plaiting and weaving garments. Still, it is in the same class. Some of the orioris addressed to sons deal with the activities of men, with the art of war and skill in the handling of warlike weapons. Those addressed to daughters, however, speak of the activities of women. Through all the songs, including the oriori, occur words which refer to the personal adornment of the Maori:— Nau te mau mai i nga taonga o Wharawhara Ko te Paekura ki to taringa, ko Waikanae ki to ringa Hei taputapu mohou, e hine. “Bring with you the treasures of Wharawhara, the graceful feathers of the albatross, The famous greenstone Paekura in your ear and the axe Waikanae in your hand As your rightful adornment, o daughter.” Tenei, e tama, te whare i tohia te kaka o te waero Kai o tuakana; e mau ana mai Tamore i te kaki Hei ata mohou, tu ake ki runga ra. “This, o son, is the house in which was dedicated the famous dogskin cloak with your elder brothers Wearing the heitiki, Tamore, on your neck to enhance your beauty, Stand up before them all.” It will be noted that all the tohungas do not belong to one tribe. But whether from Ngati Tuwharetoa, Ngati Apa, Te Tai Rawhiti or Ngapuhi, they all appear to follow the one pattern, turning aside only in minor matters to make their compositions vary. The reader who is interested in Maori, upon searching carefully through these songs, will be amazed at the abundant evidence of the art with which each tohunga has contrived devices to dress fittingly the words which clothe his thoughts. (To be continued)