![]() ![]() But Ngati-Huarere saw the sparks of the stick, and followed the mokai, and also found Mahanga, and killed them both. So the slave went into the assembly and succeeded in getting some food, and a smouldering stick whereby to kindle a fire. So Mahanga, being famished with hunger and cold, sent his mokai to seek food and fire, for he dreaded to go among Ngati-Huarere himself. On shore were the Ngati-Huarere dancing in their village before a big fire. His object was that the ariki of his wife might perform the ceremony of horohoro (purification) in respect of his sons by Te Aka.īut that night an easterly gale ( marangi) came on, and the canoe of Mahanga was blown out of the course, and came to where Short-land Wharf now is. Their children were now well grown when Mahanga asked his wife Te Aka, “Kei whea to Ariki?” (“Where is the high chief”?) Te Aka told him, “Kei tera taha o Hauraki-Ko Puha, toku tungane, Ko to matou mata-mua tera.” (“On that other side of Hauraki, Puha my brother, he is our first born.”) So Mahanga prepared a canoe, and set off with his mokai (servant) to go across the Hauraki to the home of his brother-in-law Puha. ![]() MAHANGA KILLED BY NGATI-HUARERE AT HAURAKI. 2 Her sons by Mahanga were Te Ao-tutahanga, the first born, and Te Manu-kaihongi, the second born. ![]() So her brothers understood Mahanga had cast spells of atahu over their sister, and consented to her marriage. Her brothers then came to her and asked her, “What is thy illness or distress?” To whom Te Aka replied, “Yes, I am ill, I am in distress for I have been sadly humiliated by our guest Mahanga.” She then detailed what had happened to her, and confessed she desired to take that old man for her husband. This was and act of atahu 1 (to enkindle love), and was also a disturbance of her status as a puhi (betrothed virgin) so she returned within her house, and when food was called would not come forth, for she was under the influence of the spell of atahu, exercised by Mahanga over her, and felt she had been humiliated by that old man's interference with her as above related. When Te Aka-tawhia came, engaged in some household duty, near him (for she was despite her rank an industrious girl), Mahanga thrust his taiaha at her body, saying: “ Tena to hukui-te paepae o Uenuku.” (“There is thy scraper-the threshold of Uenuku.”) The girl had come to scrape some flax fibre to make some garments. Mahanga did not announce his intention, and meditated day by day how he might possess the maiden as his wife. Now Mahanga was already advanced in years, yet he desired that maiden for his wife, although she was a puhi (already betrothed) so he stayed at that place Pakihi, and his party returned home without him. They came to Pakihi Island (near the Sand Spit), there Mahanga heard of a maid of high rank, famous for her beauty, by name Te Aka-tawhia, a lineal descendant of Maru-tuahu. His party comprised many famous toas (warriors), among whom were Rahoparu, Tai-ekieki and Ngaro-ai-Te-Hotu. ![]() Mahanga was of Tainui, and he came to this district, Maraetai, from the west, that is to say from Pirongia. ![]()
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