A visit of this sort was a serious matter, for such guests might stay for generations and the full rite of hospitality required that land should be given them to live upon if they chose to remain. The Atiroos did remain with Punua teraitua. But he did not give them land. Their other cousin, Marama, was more generous; he invited them to Haapiti, and set apart the southern and eastern half of his district for them as their residence. They settled there as guests of Marama, and in the course of the next four generations spread over Vaiere, on the east coast, so that they got possession of a number of districts scattered throughout the island.

Then their head-chief felt himself so strong that he declared his independence by setting up a Marae of his own, Te nuu Faatauira, and sending there the sacrifices which had before been sent to Marama’s Marae tefano. This was not only as great an insult as they could offer to their host, but it was also a sort of declaration of war, for they took half his territory without tribute or recognition.

The Marama at that time was a woman, Tetupuaiura o terai, and, though neither she nor her people liked to be insulted in this way, she did not care to take up the quarrel with so strong a neighbor. She waited to retaliate, and the Atiroos felt themselves very well able to afford her a chance. They already had half of Haapiti, and they wanted the other half. Their next insult made a blood-feud.

I have already said that kite-flying was one of the favorite native amusements. The young men made huge kites which they raced in rivalry, and the strong southeast trade-wind carried them long distances before they fell. The Atiroos were to have a great feast, with flying of kites, and, in a spirit of mischief, four boys of Marama’s

Indigenous Histories