them. It was a well known fact that Puhiwahine was a person of some consequence who had relatives among the disaffected tribes. Her tribal affiliation to the restless and warlike Ngati-Toa—who, under the leadership of Te Rangihaeata, the nephew of the redoubtable war lord, Te Rauparaha, had made raids on Wellington—was a fact she never attempted to hide. It was under these circumstances that she pondered and brooded over the fate of her kinsmen, and out of this mood emerged her song of war; a song of which the theme is far removed from her previous compositions. For one who was a coquette the song may be considered as unusual:—

HE WAIATA MO TE PAKANGA (A SONG OF WAR) Ma wai ra taku mate E huti ake ki runga? Ma te Atua Nui, Maana i runga nei. No te kore ano; Te kore-te-whiwhia, Te kore-te-rawea— Na wai hoki te kore? E whitu nga tau E kawea ana te patu Ki te rakau hoari, Ki te rakau pu hou. Whakatuputupu, whakatuputupu! Kaore ana ra; Kei tua o Manuka. I te ra e puta mai, Te hau o pungawere, Hei whakariu ake— Mania, ka paheke atu ana, Ki te wai tai! Mimiti, pãkore Ki te waha o te parata! E au kai tu, E au kai rere, E au kai whakatokihi; I runga o te tumuaki O Te Poihipi, Me tohu hoki koe No Ngati-Karetoto, He pahi mahi kai Maaku ma te tau, e, Te tau, e, i… Who will it be to raise My fallen ones again? None, but Almighty God, He who reigns above. All about is now a void; An empty void, A dismal void— Tell me, who caused the void? For seven long years The patu has opposed 10 The unsheathed sword, And the loaded gun. Be prepared, be prepared! The worst is yet to come; It is still beyond Manuka. But the day will dawn, The day of the spider's wind, Which will rend all asunder — Slipping, all will slide onward, Onward into the salty sea! 20 Flowing outwards ‘twill expose The gaping mouth of the sea monster! I now eat on my feet, I now eat in haste, I now eat in secret; For all now rests upon the head Of Te Poihipi, The one bespoken By the tribe of Karetoto, The food-gathering tribe 30 For me your cherished one, My beloved, alas… 9. Seven years. The period of sporadic fighting in various parts of the country, following Hone Heke's War in the north. 10. Patu. A short flat weapon for hand to hand fighting. One made of whale bone was called a patu-paraoa. 15. Manuka. The harbour on the western side of the Tamaki isthmus, where the city of Auckland now stands. Sometimes called Manukau. At the time the only fighting on a large scale was that of Hone Heke, hence the expression “beyond Manuka.” 17. Spider's wind. Hau o pungawere. Before a hurricane, or stormy weather the spider will disappear into holes and crevices. Hurricanes, on that account, are called ‘spider's wind.’ 23. I now eat etc. The manner of eating of one who apprehends danger. 27. Te Poihipi. One of Puhiwahine's former lovers. It is said he endeavoured to persuade the people of Kawhia to go north and join in Hone Heke's War. 28. The one bespoken. This is a reference to her broken romance with Te Poihipi. His tribe, Ngati-Karetoto, had opposed his marriage to Puhiwahine because he was already be-spoken as a husband for a young woman of his own tribe. 30. The food-gathering tribe. A captious expression by the poetess, inspired by the recollection of her broken romance. (To be continued in our next issue)