UENUKU OR KAHUKURA THE RAINBOW GOD OF WAR Being advice to young soldiers when going into action (Part 2) BY TUTA NIHONIHO 5. Take tuarima hei tirohanga: Ka haere koe ki te whawhai, a i te ra i whakatika atu ai koe i to kainga, kia mau ki nga take e whai ake nei. Tuatahi, kia pai te tahu i te umu o; kia maoa, he pai; ki te kore i maoa, he he, ara he aitua; kia mahara, ata whakaaroa. Tuarua, kia pai to haere, kauaka e arita, e whakahoki kupu ranei, e pokanoa ranei ki te mea a tetahi, te whai kupu ranei ki tetahi tangata. Kaua e pa ki nga mahi kino katoa, kei waiho hei take whakararu i a koe i roto o te whawhai; heoi mau ko te ngawari, ko te humarie, ko te rongo ki nga kupu tohutohu o te whawhai, ko te piri o te ngakau ki te atua hei awhina, hei tieki i a koe i nga wa o te he. I a koe e haere a matua ana to haere ki te whawhai, auaka e haere punui, engari kia whai toro, a mua, a muri. Ko nga toro o mua kia whai kiore, kia tokorua ki mua hei tirotiro haere i roto o nga rakau, o nga awaawa, o nga kohatu, i to hoariri. Auaka aua kiore e haere tahi, kia rima, kia ono tiini te matara o tetahi ki mua, o tetahi ki muri, kei kotahi tonu te hopunga i aua kiore. No te mea ko aua kiore he tangata kua tukua mo te mate; i wehea ai raua, kia mau rawa ake ai tetahi o raua, ka puta tetahi o raua, hei kawe korero ki te heteri (toro), ki te matua hoki, a mehemea ranei ka puta tetahi o raua, ka puhia mai e te hoariri, ka mate, ka rangona atu nga pu e te heteri (toro), e te matua, a ka haere mohio atu ratou ki te waahi i tangi mai ai nga pu. A, mehemea hoki ka kore he heteri, ara he toro, ki mua o te matua haere ai, ka haere matua tonu te haere, a tera pea kua hangaia mai e to hoariri nga pehipehi mou ki roto o nga maunga, o nga ngahere, o nga awaawa, nga apiti ranei; ka haere atu koe i runga i te kuare, kaore e mohiotia atu tera nga pehipehi mou te takoto mai ra, ma te waha tonu koe o te pu e whakamohio, mohio rawa ake koe, ka poto koe kei raro te ngau e te mataa. He taonga nui te waha karanga i roto o te whawhai, ahakoa te tangi a te pu, ka mahia ake te waha karanga, “Kokiri ra— E! [Ka whakahua ki tona hapu, iwi ranei, i konei] Kokiri! Kokiri!” Ka whati ra to hoariri, ka whati, ka whati. Ka rongo te hapu, te iwi ranei, e karangatia ra te ingoa i roto o te whawhai, ka kaha nga uaua me te tinana ki te rere totoa ki te reo e karanga ra, te hapaitanga a te aroha, me te ngakau rite kia kotahi takotoranga ki te marae, hei korero whakatu ma te hoariri i te ao tu roa. We continue in this issue the essay by Tuta Nihoniho on Maori methods of bush warfare. In the previous instalment the author discussed the preparations and the omens of ancient Maori war campaigns; here he concentrates on battle tactics. The essay is presented entirely as it was first printed in 1913, translated and edited by Elsdon Best. BATTLE TACTICS Fifth subject for consideration: When you go to the wars, on the day you start from your home abide firmly by the following items: First, let food for the journey be carefully cooked: if it turns out to be thoroughly cooked, it is a good omen; if undercooked, it is unlucky, an evil omen: think it over, consider the matter. Secondly, be discreet in your behaviour, be not irascible or prone to murmur, interfere not with others, or speak harshly to them. Have nothing to do with any undesirable or evil act, lest such afflict you when in action. Sufficient for you be tractability and a comely demeanour, also obedience to all directions in regard to the fighting, a cleaving of the heart to God that he may assist and protect you in the time of trouble. When you are marching in a body to war, do not march in solid column (better to move in open order, and not in the foolish manner adopted by European troops), but have scouts out ahead and in the rear. And let the scouts in front have two kiore out ahead of them to search the forest, and gullies, and rocks for your enemies. See that those kiore do not keep together, but let one be five or six chains in advance of the other, lest both of the kiore (rats) be captured (5). Because those kiore are persons who have been handed over to death (i.e., have been assigned most dangerous duty) they were separated, so that if one of them be captured the other escapes to convey the news to the toro (scouts) behind and to the main body. Or, if one of them escapes capture, is fired on by the enemy and slain, the shots will be heard by the scouts behind and by the main body, who