him to proceed north, and “with the shining orb of the sun to guide him by day, and the silvery moon to pilot him by night,” he at length arrived off the mouth of the Arahura River on the West Coast of the South Island, some four miles north of where Hokitika now stands. At this moment the sun hid its face, and lo, all was dark, save that from the icefields of Tara-o-Tama, at the source of the Arahura River, there gleamed a bright radiance, and by this omen Ngahue knew that he was to land and proceed thereto.
Poutini, still in hot pursuit, followed him up the river, until a deep pool at the foot of a fearful rapid was reached. Here it injured itself and sank to the bottom, being, by the peculiar qualities of the water, transformed into a greenstone canoe, and there it may be seen to this very day, if you find the right place and dive to the bottom of the pool. As this is very dark and very deep, the canoe can only be seen when the sun shines brightly at high noon, through a cleft in the cliffs. . . . .
His enemy having been disposed of, Ngahue, greatly attracted by the beauty and hardness of the greenstone lying about the pool, selected a block which his warriors conveyed back to his canoe at the mouth of the river. On his arrival there the sky to the south and west became as dark as night—while to the north all was bright and shining. By this he knew it was safe to return to his home land, so he
