But a keener fear of the night, the dark, and the ghostly hour,

And the thing that drove the canoe with more than a mortal's power

And more than a mortal's boldness. For much she knew of the dead

That haunt and fish upon reefs, toiling, like men, for

bread,

And traffic with human fishers, or slay them and take their ware,

Till the hour when the star of the dead 15 goes down,

and the morning air

Blows, and the cocks are singing on shore. And surely she knew

The speechless thing at her side belonged to the grave. 16

It blew

All night from the south; all night, Rahéro contended

and kept

550 The prow to the cresting sea; and, silent as though she

slept,

The woman huddled and quaked. And now was the

peep of day.

High and long on their left the mountainous island lay;
And over the peaks of Taiárapu arrows of sunlight

struck.

On shore the birds were beginning to sing: the ghostly ruck

Of the buried had long ago returned to the covered

grave;

And here on the sea, the woman, waxing suddenly

brave,

THE SONG OF RAHÉRO

Turned her swiftly about and looked in the face of the

man.

And sure he was none that she knew, none of her country or clan:

A stranger, mother-naked, and marred with the marks of fire,

But comely and great of stature, a man to obey and ad- 560 mire.

And Rahéro regarded her also, fixed, with a frowning
face,

Judging the woman's fitness to mother a warlike race.
Broad of shoulder, ample of girdle, long in the thigh,
Deep of bosom she was, and bravely supported his eye.

"Woman," said he, "last night the men of your folk -
Man, woman, and maid, smothered my race in smoke.
It was done like cowards; and I, a mighty man of my
hands,

Escaped, a single life; and now to the empty lands
And smokeless hearths of my people, sail, with your-
self, alone.

Before your mother was born, the die of to-day was 570 thrown

And you selected:- your husband, vainly striving, to

fall

Broken between these hands:-yourself to be severed from all,

The places, the people, you love - home, kindred, and

clan

And to dwell in a desert and bear the babes of a kinless

man."

NOTES TO THE SONG OF RAHÉRO

INTRODUCTION. This tale, of which I have not consciously changed a single feature, I received from tradition. It is highly popular through all the country of the eight Tevas, the clan to which Rahéro belonged; and particularly in Taiárapu, the windward peninsula of Tahiti, where he lived. I have heard from end to end two versions; and as many as five different persons have helped me with details. There seems no reason why the tale should not be true.

Note 1, verse 22. "The aito," quasi champion, or brave. One skilled in the use of some weapon, who wandered the country challenging distinguished rivals and taking part in local quarrels. It was in the natural course of his advancement to be at last employed by a chief, or king; and it would then be a part of his duties to purvey the victim for sacrifice. One of the doomed families was indicated; the aito took his weapon and went forth alone; a little behind him bearers followed with the sacrificial basket. Sometimes the victim showed fight, sometimes prevailed; more often, without doubt, he fell. But whatever body was found, the bearers indifferently took up.

Note 2, verses 45, et seq. "Pai," "Honoura,” and “Abupu.” Legendary persons of Tahiti, all natives of Taiárapu. Of the two first, I have collected singular although imperfect legends, which I hope soon to lay before the public in another place. Of Ahupu, except in snatches of song, little memory appears to linger. She dwelt at least about Tepari," the sea-cliffs," the eastern fastness of the isle; walked by paths known only to herself upon the mountains; was courted by dangerous suitors who came swimming from adjacent islands, and defended and rescued (as I gather) by the loyalty of native fish. My anxiety to learn more of "Ahupu Vehine" became (during my stay in Taiárapu) a cause of some diversion to that mirthful people, the inhabitants.

THE SONG OF RAHÉRO

Note 3, verse 80.

"Covered an oven." The cooking fire is made

in a hole in the ground, and is then buried.

"

Note 4, verse 85. Flies." "This is perhaps an anachronism. Even speaking of to-day in Tahiti, the phrase would have to be understood as referring mainly to mosquitoes, and these only in watered valleys with close woods, such as I suppose to form the surroundings of Rahéro's homestead. Quarter of a mile away, where the air moves freely, you shall look in vain for one.

Note 5, verse 115. fishing, and that with methods.

Note 6, verse 133.

"Hook" of mother-of-pearl. Bright-hook the spear, appear to be the favourite native

"Leaves," the plates of Tahiti.

Note 7, verse 144. "Yottowas," so spelt for convenience of pronunciation, quasi Tacksmen in the Scottish Highlands. The organisation of eight sub-districts and eight yottowas to a division, which was in use (until yesterday) among the Tevas, I have attributed without authority to the next clan: see verses 341-2.

Note 8, verse 160. "Ómare," pronounce as a dactyl. A loaded quarter-staff, one of the two favourite weapons of the Tahitian brave: the javelin, or casting spear, was the other.

Note 9, verse 202.

"The ribbon of light." Still to be seen (and heard) spinning from one marae to another on Tahiti; or so I have it upon evidence that would rejoice the Psychical Society.

Note 10, verse 221. "Námunu-úra." The complete name is Namunu-ura te aropa. Why it should be pronounced Námunu, dactyllically, I cannot see, but so I have always heard it. This was the clan immediately beyond the Tevas on the south coast of the island. At the date of the tale the clan organisation must have been very weak. There is no particular mention of Támatéa's mother going to Papara, to the head chief of her own clan, which would appear her natural recourse. On the other hand, she seems to have visited various lesser chiefs among the Tevas, and these to have excused themselves solely on the danger of the enterprise. The broad distinction here drawn between Nateva and Námunu-úra is therefore not impossibly anachronistic.

"

Note 11, verse 223. Hiopa the king." Hiopa was really the name of the king (chief) of Vaiau; but I could never learn that of the king of Paea pronounce to rhyme with the Indian ayah — and I gave the name where it was most needed. This note must appear otiose indeed to readers who have never heard of either of these two gentlemen; and perhaps there is only one person in the world capable at once of reading my verses and spying the inaccuracy. For him, for Mr. Tati Salmon, hereditary high chief of the Tevas, the written: a small attention from a clansman to his chief.

note is solely

Note 12, verse 239. "Let the pigs be tapu." It is impossible to explain tapu in a note; we have it as an English word, taboo. Suffice it, that a thing which was tapu must not be touched, nor a place that was tapu visited.

Note 13, verse 354. "Fish, the food of desire." There is a special word in the Tahitian language to signify hungering after fish. I may remark that here is one of my chief difficulties about the whole story. How did king, commons, women, and all come to eat together at this feast? But it troubled none of my numerous authorities; so there must certainly be some natural explanation.

Note 14, verse 429.

"The mustering word of the clan."

Teva te ua,

Teva te matai!

Teva the wind,

Teva the rain!

Note 15, verse 546. Note 16, verse 548. The star of the dead." Venus as a morning star. I have collected much curious evidence as to this belief. The dead retain their taste for a fish diet, enter into copartnery with living fishers, and haunt the reef and the lagoon. The conclusion attributed to the nameless lady of the legend would be reached to-day, under the like circumstances, by ninety per cent. of Polynesians; and here I probably understate by one-tenth.