To ngaporutu and his wife, rihe. At wakatumutu. Ngawhea, of te mahoa. A chief of the ngatimaniapoto tribe & nga miho, wife of rangituataea. [image of page 87]
plate xxxvii. Nga porutu and his wife rihe. Mokau. In a wild and secluded part of the district of mokau, which extends from the west coast towards taupo, is situated the native village of whakatumutumu, of which nga porutu is the chief. This man was formerly a distinguished warrior, belonging to the nga-ti-maniapoto tribe, but has lately embraced christianity. Previously to his becoming a convert, this chief, according to the heathen custom, had several wives; but he has since put away all excepting rihe, the one whose portrait is given in the plate; this lady whom he has retained as his partner in life, was originally purchased for thirty pigs, and belongs to the wanganui tribe. The cast-off wives are all anxiously waiting for rihe to die; each one hoping that she may be the successful candidate for the next wife. Nga whea and nga miho. Kawhia. Nga-whea is one of the numerous chiefs of that large division of the waikato tribe called ngatimaniapoto; he belongs to te mahoa near kawhia harbour on the west coast, and is still attached to the heathen religion of the tohunga. Nga miho (the teeth) is a celebrated priestess, and wife of rangituataea, the old chief of ahuahu, who was wounded at taranaki. Date: 1847.
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