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There are three identical 'manu ruku' in Tahua and the distance from the first to the last is 36 glyphs (counted in the normal way):

We also note that the ordinal number of te taha is 43, i.e. one more than 42, while in Ab1-52 we have the sign 364 / 7. Once again the pattern of 3 + 1 is revealed, this time in order 1 + 3. Maybe Ab1-42 represents Pure Va:

... 'Pure O' permits a wordplay with MAO. pūreo (i.e., purero 'that which sticks out of the water'), 'Pure Ki' with MAO. pureki (i.e., pūrei 'an isolated rock'), while 'Pure Vanangananga' brings to mind TUA. vanavana 'protuberance'; TAH. vanavana 'rough, ragged'. Put differently, the names of the three ghostly emissaries, which are actually forms of prayer, point to tangible objects in the environment, such as the cliffs and reefs in the water of the bay, which may have caused the damage done to the stone figure of the ancestor. The accident must have occured where the otherwise sandy beach of the landing site is bordered by rocky promontories or where sections of the reef jut out of the water.

If in our version 'Pure O' is said to have used a pureva (i.e., a large round stone) to sever the head of the stone figure, this must be a wordplay, intended to bring about the fourth pure association, which would complete the 'pure tetrade' of spirits living in Vai Hū.

Separating pureva into pure va indicates noisy talk (compare especially HAW. wā) or loud laughter (TON., UVE. vā), both forms of expression that have very little in common with 'prayer' and may instead indicate the failure of the undertaking. 'Pure Va' is, in this case, the opposite of 'Pure Henguingui' ...

Now it becomes obvious why we should count 3 + 1 = 4:

We later found more instances of 3 + 1, for instance:

... The 3 + 1 'feathers' at the 'broken wing' of Aa2-85 presumably indicate that '1' is inside (i.e. in the dark) while '3' is outside (in the light):

... At Aa3-39 (spring equinox time) the 3 'feathers' have moved to the back:

Scanning quickly from the beginning of side a I found another occurence of the triple 'feathers', Aa1-87. Possibly these 'feathers' return at the back in Aa1-89:

... Another idea: In Hb9-45 the top has the structure 3 + 1, whereas in Aa1-13 it has 4:

   

The 4th limb in Hb9-45 is different, not 'spooky' and presumably has a sun symbol at right on the 'knee'. Maybe the 'kava' limb is expressing how the new chief dies and then lives again. Like lightning he strikes the ground, thunder rolls and his strength is regained ...

The signs on the wing of the Ab1-42 bird may indicate water:

Is the bird beating his wing (kará) against the water (ki te vai) in order to - rotu - frighten 'fish' into a 'net'? There should be a net at new year, filled with goods symbolizing the 'fruits' of the coming year. There should be a crowding of people (rotu) in great numbers for the feast.

Rotu is also to beat a drum and we recall Metoro's words rutua te pahu (the sound of drums) at the onset of his reading Tahua:

I have a faint memory of taha meaning a frigate bird, but when checking in my own dictionary I cannot find it:

Then I search in my Translations and find taha mentioned in several places, among which appear:

... Der Fregattvogel kommit in den Tafeltexten wesentlich häufiger vor; seine Zeichen⁸⁾

⁸⁾ Zeichen 600-648. - Jaussenliste 'taha' (Fregate); gewöhnlich aber 'makohe' genannt (Métraux 1940, 18).

werden oft qualifizierend benutzt ...

Important, I guess, is the fact that Taharoa is the 20th station of the kuhane of Haumaka:

20 / 26 * 364 = 280 = 10 months à 28 days, a period probably signifying that the cycle is about to end and begin anew. Number 20 is therefore appropriate for Taharoa, the great 'side'. We could alternatively calculate with 20 / 24 * 360 and reach 300.

My earlier ideas about the stations around the 20th should also be repeated here:

Although the kuhane stations perhaps may be identified with the diurnal cycle of the sun, another possibility is that we should think of the yearly cycle.

We must furthermore keep in mind that we have three different sources which must be kept apart: 1) the rongorongo text 2) the readings of Metoro 3) manuscript E.

When sun is moving towards the horizon (tahataha) he soon will disappear, that image may be used for the end of the solar year.

The end of the solar year implies that a new year is about to be born:

... When Hotu's canoe had reached Taharoa, the vaginal fluid (of Hotu's pregnant wife) appeared. They sailed toward Hanga Hoonu, where the mucus (kovare seems to refer to the amniotic sac in this case) appeared. They sailed on and came to Rangi Meamea, where the amniotic fluid ran out and the contractions began.They anchored the canoe in the front part of the bay, in Hanga Rau. The canoe of Ava Rei Pua also arrived and anchored. After Hotu's canoe had anchored, the child of Vakai and Hotu appeared. It was Tuu Maheke, son of Hotu, a boy ...

420 / 20 = 21, the station number of Hanga Hoonu is OK for the birth, I think.

I also found this amusing piece:

... 'One, that's Maui mua; two, that's Maui roto; three, that's Maui taha; four, that's Maui pae', she said; these names mean Maui the first, Maui the middle, Maui the side, and Maui the edge. Then she saw this other child standing with them, and cried out, 'Hullo, where did this one come from?'

'I'm your child too', Maui replied.

So she counted them again and said, 'Oh no, there ought to be only four of you ...

The 'topknot (tikitiki) child' (Maui) is the very last one. Topknots are red as we have learnt from the great moai, a sign of fire. Presumably Maui represents the new year fire.

... At the top we must have knots - topknots. At the end of a long period there must be a binding together of the previous period with the new one ...

I.e. Fakataka.

Lastly, another triplet appeared where taha also is mentioned: