Other formats

    TEI XML file   ePub eBook file  

Connect

    mail icontwitter iconBlogspot iconrss icon

The Maori Canoe

A Drift Canoe from New Zealand Reaches a Distant Inhabited — Island and Returns Hither

A Drift Canoe from New Zealand Reaches a Distant Inhabited
Island and Returns Hither.

In times long past away a chief named Marara, of the Hauraki district, with seven companions, went out to sea on a fishing excursion. While on the fishing-ground a gale sprung up, which blew the canoe far out to sea. They were driven for days before the gale, and lived on the fish they had caught on the hapuku ground, and rain-water. They were at sea for eighteen days before sighting land, by which time only two men were capable of steering the canoe. On the eighteenth day of their voyage they made land. On landing they were met by a body of natives armed with spears, who came to oppose them. Their spears looked like the stalks of toetoe kiwi (Gahnia lacera). One of the natives called out to the waifs. "Na we koutou?" to which one of the seafarers replied, "Na te hau ipupuhi maV ("The winds blew us hither"). Again the island people asked, "Na we koutou no te ao rewa?" to which answer was made 'Wo toka"[?].

Question: "Na we koutou na te aopiki?" Answer: "Ana, e ta, tenei."

Question: "Na we koutou na te ao te tauia?" Answer: "No toka."

Question: "E kore iana koe e titiro ki to wahine ki a Papa e nanahu na?"

Answer: "Ana, e ta, tenei."

Question: "E kore iana to aroaro e anga ki te ra?" Answer: "Ana, e ta, tenei."

page 419

Question: "Na we tepupu?" Answer: "Na toka."

Question: "Na we te tawiri?" Answer: "Na toka."

"Nau mai ki uta, ko hui te rangiora, he ora." The party were then allowed to land, and the strongest man of the party procured some water and therewith wet the lips of his companions as they lay in the canoe. Then the weaker ones were carried ashore, and some of the fish they had dried during the voyage was cooked. The two men of the party who were still able to move about busied themselves in looking after their companions. They found the kumara (sweet potato) growing wild in the low, moist parts of the valleys. All this time the people of the land were sitting in groups watching the ocean waifs. When the castaways kindled a fire and proceeded to cook food the natives of the place made strong objections to the kumara being cooked at a fire. However, the castaways persisted in so cooking it, and the party of eight men gradually recovered.

The daughter of the chief who had questioned the waifs when they landed was given as a wife to Marara. The party lived in that land for some time, and spent much of their time in making kao kumara for future use. The stone of that land was pumicestone.

All the kao kumara (dried sweet potatoes) made was packed in small baskets and carefully covered with dry leaves and grass in order to preserve it from the damp.

Their canoe was a large double one, termed a huhunu, with a komaru, or sail, made of matting. This vessel they prepared for sea, and stowed in it a quantity of fresh water contained in calabashes. Marara got his companions to place all food-supplies in the canoe, and, at a convenient time, anchor it off-shore. The night before the voyage homeward was commenced all Marara's companions slept on board the canoe. At dawn of day Marara and his wife came down to the beach, where they stood talking for a while. Meanwhile the anchor had been hauled up by Marara's companions, who brought the canoe in close to the beach. Marara now suddenly jumped into the canoe, which at once put off from the shore. His wife now saw that Marara was deserting her, and entreated him to take her with him, but he refused to do so. And so, leaving the women wailing on the beach, the canoe of the waifs passed out on to the ocean and commenced the long voyage to the far south.

As the canoe passed out to sea her occupants looked back and saw the deserted wife clamber up to the summit of a high cliff near the beach. There she stood for a while waving her garment in a token of farewell. Then, as they looked, they saw the hapless woman throw herself from the cliff-head upon the rocks far below.

The tradition states that the voyage back to Aotea-roa, or New Zealand, was made principally under sail, steering by the stars at night. They made the land in the north, and saw the ranges near the Bay of Islands and to the south as their first glimpse of the homeland after a three years' absence.

They now ran down the coast and reached their home in the Hauraki district at night. Marara at once went to his own home, where he had left his wife and little child three years before. He found his child, a boy, outside the house, weeping. On being questioned, the child said that his mother's new husband had beaten him and turned him out of the house; also that his own father had been drowned at sea when out fishing. Marara told the boy to pull aside the door of the house and tell his persecutor that page 420if he beat him again he would be fed to the dogs. The child was at first afraid to do so, but was at length persuaded by Marara, who promised to protect him. On hearing the remark the enraged man came forth to chastise the child, and, as he passed through the low doorway in a stooping position, Marara struck him on the head with his mere paraoa and killed him. His body was not, however, consigned to the dogs, but was placed with the dead of the tribe. And Marara regained his wife and child, and related his adventures during his three years' absence.

The dialogue given above contains curious expressions and is untranslatable. It may have suffered through being handed down for generations.