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The Maori Canoe

[argument and introduction]

page 385

Contents

Polynesian voyagers. Oral traditions. Discovery of New Zealand by Polynesians. Voyage of Kupe and Ngahue. A lone land. First settling of New Zealand. Coming of the Mouriuri, a people of unknown origin. Second peopling of New Zealand. Coming of the Maori. The voyage of Toi. The coming of Kura-hau-po. Voyage of Manaia and Nuku from eastern Polynesia to New Zealand. Coming of the "fleet". Vessels of the immigrants. The "Arawa" canoe. "Tainui." "Matatua." "Aotea." "Takitumu." "Horouta." Voyages made from New Zealand to Polynesia.

The discovery and peopling of the isles of New Zealand by Pacific voyagers is a subject of much interest, illustrating as it does the amazing daring, endurance, and ingenuity displayed by the ancestors of the Maori, the old sea-rovers of the vast Pacific Ocean. In the traditions of these natives we see that an uncultured folk, ignorant of metals, of the use of the compass, of the art of ship-building, ranged over vast areas of uncharted ocean, and visited and settled innumerable isles from lone Easter to far Nukuoro. We see the dark races of the west occupying a great expanse of the island world, the lighter people of the north inhabiting many far-spread isles, and the comparatively fair Polynesian holding every isle from lone Easter westward to the eastern bounds of Melanesia. In some areas, such as New Zealand, eastern Fiji, and elsewhere, we observe a mixture of the dark and fair races. The movements of these people presents a strange and attractive subject-one that will never be clearly known; but we have a certain amount of evidence that tends to show how the races of Oceania became dispersed over so vast an area, how the innumerable isles and groups were discovered and populated, some in times long past away, some in comparatively late times.

In this portion of the paper will be given native traditions pertaining to the discovery and settlement of New Zealand; the coming of many voyagers from Polynesia, some as settlers, others merely as visitors, together with return voyages from these isles to Polynesia, and the sea traffic that at one time existed between the two regions. In this narrative it will be seen that, after retailing the local traditions, we shall obtain a certain amount of corroboration from several isles of page 386Polynesia, where a knowledge of certain voyages to and from New Zealand has been retained.

In the narration of these voyages made by fearless and capable explorers and voyagers of the Polynesian race it will be seen that, so far as we can judge, the most interesting traditions, those preserving the most detail, have been preserved by the Takitumu people, of the east coast. The vessel of that name is said to have brought from Polynesia several men deeply learned in tribal history, and, to some extent, racial history. This knowledge was preserved by means of establishing or introducing here what may be termed schools of learning, in which, during each succeeding generation, carefully chosen youths were taught the traditions, ritual, and other lore of the race and of the tribe.

As is usually the case with orally preserved traditions-history as conserved by an uncultured folk ignorant of written language-we find that mythical accretions have become attached to genuine historical traditions, and these must be noted by the inquirer.

There can be little doubt that a spirit of adventure led the Polynesians to make many voyages of discovery athwart the Pacific. Many islands were discovered by these explorers, and, as the people became numerous in islands first settled, bands of adventurers broke away and crossed wide seas to colonize lands discovered by their ancestors. We shall see that New Zealand was settled by the Maori in this manner from the isles of eastern Polynesia.

In Maori tradition one Poupaka is said to have been an old-time Polynesian voyager who flourished two generations before the time of Kupe. He is said to have been a daring navigator who braved the perils of the ocean when others feared Tawhiri-matea and his offspring (the winds): hence the saying "Tutumaiao Tawhiri-matea, whakatere ana Poupaka"; as also "Tutu te aniwaniwa, ka tere Poupaka i te uru tai."