As the dictation went on I was careful never to ask any question, or otherwise interrupt the thread of the being guided by the sound in writing any new and strange words. When some time had thus passed, I stopt him at some suitable part of his tale: then read over to him what I had written, and made the necessary corrections—taking notes also of the meanings of words which were new to me. Chapters v. and vi. are with some omissions translations of a _Maori_ MS. written in this way. Chapter ii. contains a tradition as to _Maori_ Cosmogony more particular in some details than I have ever met with elsewhere. My informant had been educated to become a _tohunga_; but had afterwards become a professing Christian. The narrative took place at night unknown to any of his people, and under promise that I would not read what I wrote to any of his people. When after some years I re-visited New Zealand, I learnt that he had died soon after I left, and that his death was attributed to the anger of the _Atua_ of his family due to his having, as they expressed it, trampled on the _tapu_ by making _noa_ or public things sacred—he having himself confessed what he no doubt believed to be the cause of his illness. In Appendix will be found a list of _Maori_ words expressing relationship. It will be observed that where we employ definite words for ‘father’ and ‘brother’ the _Maori_ use words having a more comprehensive meaning, like our word ‘cousin’: hence when either of the words _matua_, &c., are used, to ascertain the actual degree of relationship some additional explanatory words must be added, as would be necessary when we use the general term cousin. A short vocabulary of _Maori_ words unavoidably introduced in the following pages, which require explanation not to be found in any published dictionary, are also printed in the Appendix,—as well as a few selected _karakia_ in the original _Maori_, with reference to pages where their translations appear, as a matter of interest to some persons. _Auckland, January, 1882._ CONTENTS.