Continuing The Story Of Tama

len.george(63)

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These men were Giants, Tama was nine feet tall, Rua was eleven feet tall, there have been no men since that time so tall as these heroes.

The only man of these later times who was as tall as these was Tu-hou-rangi, he was nine feet tall, he was six feet up to his armpits.

This generation [Governor Gray’s time -1812 to 1898], have seen his bones, they used to be always set up by the priests in the sacred places when they were made high places for the sacred sacrifices of the natives.

At the times the potatoes and sweet potatoes were dug up, and when the fishing season commenced, and when they attacked an enemy.

Then might be seen the people collecting in their best garments, and with their ornaments, on the days when the priests exposed Tu-hou-rangi’s bones to their view.

At the time that the island of Mokoia, in the Lake of Rotorua, was stormed and taken by the Nga-Puhi, they probably carried those bones off, for they have not been seen since.

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After the dispute between Tama and Rua took place, Tama and his party dwelt at Maketu, and their descendants after a little time spread to other places.

Ngatoro-I-rangi went, however, about the country, and where he found dry valleys, he stamped on the earth and brought forth springs of water, he also visited the mountains, and placed Patupaiarehe, or fairies, there, and then he returned to Maketu and dwelt there.

After this, a dispute arose between Tama-te-kapua and Kahu-mata-momoe, and in consequence of that disturbance, Tama and Ngatoro removed to Tauranga and found Taikehu living there.

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Taikehu collected food for them [by fishing] and that place was called by them, Te Rangi-a-Taikehu, it lies beyond
Motu-hoa.

Then they departed from Tauranga, and stopped at Kati-kati, where they ate food,

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Tama’s men devoured the food very fast, whilst he kept on only nibbling his, therefore they applied this circumstance as a name for the place, and called it “Kati-kati-o-Tama-te-kupua, [the nibbling of Tama-te-kspua].

Then they halted at Ahakahau, so called because they ordered food to be cooked, which they did not stop to eat, but went right on with Ngatoro.

This circumstance gave its name to the place, and they went on from place to place till they arrived at Whitianga, which they so called by their crossing the river there.

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They continued going from one place to another till they came to Tangiaro, and Ngatoro stuck up a stone and left it there, and they dwelt in Moehau and Hauraki.

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They occupied those places as a permanent residence, and Tama-te-kapua died and was buried there.

When he was dying, he ordered his children to return to Maketu, to visit his relations, and they assented and went back.

If the children of Tama had remained at Hauraki, that place would not have been left to them as a possession.

Tama, when dying, told his children where the precious ear-drop “Kaukau-matua” was, which he had hidden under the window of his house, and his children, with Ngatoro, returned to Maketu and dwelt there.

As soon as Ngatoro arrived, he went to the waters to bath himself, as he had come there in a state of Tapu, upon account of his having buried Tama, and having bathed, he became free from the Tapu and was clean.

Ngotoro then took the daughter of Ihenga to wife, and he went and searched for the precious ear-drop Kaukau-matua, and found it, as Tama had told him.

After this, the wife of Kahu-mata-momoe conceived a child.

Info From Sir George Grey

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/the-spread-of-the-descendants-of-hoturoa

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/tainui-canoe-travels-from-hawaiki-to-new-zealand

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/myths-and-legends-of-new-zealand-intro

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/how-this-series-began

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/the-warrior-deeds-of-kaihuma

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/how-kaihamu-killed-his-enemies-at-waiatapu

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/tupahau-goes-fishing-at-marokopa

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/maki-s-battles-in-tamaki

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/karewa-s-fights-with-the-ngapuhi

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/the-continuing-battles-of-the-tainui-people