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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 69
A Grand Canoe Contest
A Grand Canoe Contest.
The Wakatiwai Canoe Race was won by Hemi Pateora, of Orakei, and Paora, of Orakei. But the Wakataua Race was emphatically the race of the day, and is thus described:—"It was a magnificent one, and such as New Zealand only could show. Five large and powerful canoes, beautifully carved, and highly decorated with pigeons' feathers, and manned by an unlimited number of fine athletic natives, formed line to compete for the prize. It was a picture to look at these craft and their ardent and excited crews, who, like hounds in the leash, sat ready to dart towards the appointed goal. Away they sped the instant the musket shot announced the period of trial had arrived. Their fleet canoes actually bounded over the tide, which foamed and hissed under the nervous rapidity of their strokes. Every ship cheered, and a shout of admiration and delight was mingled with the energetic outcries of the native conductors, who with voice and gesture kept time, and gave encouragement to the close-packed paddlers of these flying race boats. The speed with which they pushed onwards was perfectly surprising, far surpassing that of the whale-boats, over whose course of four or five miles they swept in 37 minutes, being 13 minutes less than that which the whalemen had consumed. The two leading canoes came in neck-and-neck, the foremost being scarcely half-a-length in advance of the other, and the remaining three together and at a very trifling distance behind. It were a study for a painter to have caught the triumphant attitude of the leading chief (Te Wherowhero, Tawhiao's father), as with dilated nostrils, arms outstretched, eyeballs rolling in their sockets, he gave expression, amidst the shouts of the spectators, the thunderings of the American and English ships, and the exultation of his fellow-countrymen, to the unbounded delight of the moment. It was an incarnation of the triumph of the savage combined with the innate energy and ardour so characteristic of the British sportsman. The attitude was intensely classical, a Maori realisation of Ajax defying the lightning. A voyage to Auckland would almost be repaid by beholding such a contest. The first canoe was called the Wharepuhunga. She is the property of the celebrated chief Te Wherowhero, and was paddled by his tribe. The name of the second was the Tamahu, of the Thames. She was paddled by the Ngatipaoa tribe, with their chief Hauaru at their head."
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The following was the canoe song chanted on the occasion:—
Tena! toia,
Tena, te aia,
Tena, kumea,
Tena, ka riro,
Tena, ka puta,
Tena, ka u, u, ka u,
Tena, kia ngoto, ngoto, kia ngoto,
Aha! ka riro,
Ka riro kei mua, rnua, kei mua.
[Translation.]
Be quick! pull away—
Be quick! dig deeply,
Be quick! now she goes,
Now she shoots ahead!
Now she arrives—arrives!
Now then, plough deeply, deeply, deeply,
Ah! now she shoots ahead—
Shoots ahead to the front,
To the front, to the front!
The keenness of the contest was intensified by tribal jealousies. As the canoes shot under the signal gun as it blazed out its contents at the close of the race, the sweating, excited crews leaped into the sea to cool themselves. They afterwards came ashore in Commercial (or Town) Bay, and on a sand bar on the beach, a little eastward of where now stands the Imperial Hotel, Fort-street, danced the war dance and got their prize money. In subsequent regattas the canoe races fell into desuetude or were poor affairs, owing to the Maoris of a later date caring more about money than aquatic sports, and wanted a prize of inordinate amount, which probably would be run for as 'a put-up job' and divided! The revival in canoe contests now brought about at the Jubilee will be hailed with satisfaction by all old colonists, as well as by the Maori people themselves.
The best poetical description of a Maori war-canoe race is that given in the following verses by Mr. Alfred Domett in his "Ranolf and Amohia":—
Then rose the single voice in prouder strain,
Just as the lightning Hashed again:
"Had you died the death of glory
On the field of battle gory—
Died the death a chief would choose,
Not this death so sad and gloomy—
Then with tuft and tassel plumy,
Down of gannet—Sea-king's feather—
Gaily-waving, snowy-flecking,
Every deep-red gunwale decking—
Then a hundred brave canoes,
With elated
Warriors freighted,
I Like one man their war-chant chiming,
Fierce deep cries the paddles timing,
While the paddles' serried [unclear: Rows],
Like broad birds' wings, spread and close—
Though the whit'ning
Waves, like lightning
Had been starting altogether,
Forward through the foam together,
All in quest of vengeful slaughter,
Tearing through the for used water."
And from dusky figures seated round,
With savage satisfaction in the sound—
A stern deep pride with sadness shadowed o'er
Like volleys fired above a soldier's grave,
Rang out the chorussed thundering groans once more:—
"Ha! A hundred brave canoes—
Crowding, crashing,
Darting, plashing.
Darting, dashing through the wave!
Forward—forward all together,
All in quest of foemen's slaughter!
They had cleft the foaming water,
Seeking vengeance for the brave—
For the brave—the brave—the brave!"
"It was not customary with the Maoris in ancient times to appoint regular days for canoe races as is now often done. Sometimes a great chief would proceed on a visit to a neighbouring relative or ally, or on a foray or a hostile expedition. If he went by land he was usually accompanied by a large retinue befitting his rank, often numbering 100 followers, and if he went by water he was escorted by as many as half a dozen large war-canoes all fully manned, and ornamented in the highest style of native art The principal war-canoe was called the 'Tararo.' It was elaborately carved and ornamented with tufts and plumes of the pigeon, albatross, and other birds. Sometimes the carved board rose to a height of twelve feet, all splendidly decorated. Two streamers of white albatross feathers decorated the bows. In the spaces between the gunwales and top sides beautifully carved pieces were let in. The spaces between the thwarts were partly covered over with twigs so as to form a platform upon which the warriors were enabled to sit in regular rows; in fact, they displayed a wonderful uniformity and precision, both in regard to position and motion, so that the war-canoes appeared like some vast antennæ instinct with life. Another name for these war-canoes was Waka Taua, from waka, a canoe, and tana, war party. In manning a canoe two men known to be skilful in handling the large steer-paddles were placed at the bow and stern, and co-operated with each other in guiding the canoe. Two or three other persons well versed in the chants and songs used on such occasions would relieve each other as fuglemen, standing up in the canoe, beating time with a paddle or taiaha (ornamental spear) and chanting a song, the chorus of which was sung by the rowers, who were bare to the waist, with heads beautifully decorated with huia and albatross feathers. Sometimes they wore over the brow topknots composed of feathers, and ribbons of tapa (native cloth), and the tuki or carved comb, which gave to the heads of the rowers an appearance of savage grandeur in singular harmony with the decorations of the canoe itself. They also often wore white or black tufts of albatross feathers (Puhoi) in the ears. These latter ornaments were only worn by men of distinction. Races sometimes occurred in this way. A number of canoes would set out together, the rowers would stimulate each other to put on speed, and in the emulation there would be a struggle for the lead, which would result in a harulycon tested race."