Kupe
(Nga-ti-hau)

Kupe (obstinate) was said to be the first man who came to these Islands (of New Zealand) he was accompanied by Hau (offering to the gods), on landing he found the land soft and trembling, he was afraid and therefore he went on till he came to Wai-rarapa (glistening water) a rocky point of the Island which was firm and he left his daughters Matiu (attempt to fly) and Makaro (drop down) there, the former giving name to a Pa: thence Kupe returned to Hawaiki because his daughters grieved to leave their children there but Matiu did not return to Hawa-iki with Kupe but went up on to the mountains at Wai-rarapa and cried and whatever she touched was covered with blood, hence the flax and other weeds and even the fish on the coast east and west of the Port Nicholson harbour being red with the tears of Matiu. Kupe went to Patea and smelled the soil and was delighted with it, and was going to reside there but Turi was not willing and bid him page (49)Ko Rua-maua, ko te ingoa o te tahi ko Rangi-taui. Ko te pa nei ko Rua-mana i hanga ki runga ki te notitanga o te tahi puke ara ki te kurae e kokiri ana ki te moana, a ko te Pa nei ko Rangi-taui e tu ana i te taki whenua ano i pahaki tata atu o te wahi i tu ai te Pa nei a Rua-mana, a ka tautetete nga tangata o Rua-mana, me nga tangata o Rangi-taui, ara ka tu a whawhai ki a ratou ano, a ko te iwi i te Pa i Rua mana te iwi maha, a he iwi, mana, ara he iwi kaha taua iwi nei, a ka puta te kupu a ratou ki te iwi i te Pa. Rangi-taui kia haere ke te iwi i Rangi-taui, a ka tono te iwi i Rangi-taui ki te waka mo ratou e eke ai i te mea kahore kau a ratou waka ake ono, a ka mea atu te iwi i te Pa i Rua mana "Kahore, haere, hare tonu ano i te ra nei ano." A ka tae te iwi a Rangi-taui ka keri i te awa kiri i te takiwa o aua pa, a ka tae ratou ki nga rakau maire a hanga ana hei mataora, a ka karakia ratou i aua mataora, a ka akona aua mataora ki roto ki taua awa kiri ra, a ka koora te whenua, a ka horo te Pa i Rau-mana ki te moana, a mate katoa te iwi o taua Pa. A nei ano te tohu a aua mataora e mau tonu ana i enei ra, i te pari i Patea. page (RTMSS)(264)(49)go on to Nga motu or Waitotara, but he would not consent and said "Hoki Kupe?" hence this being a proverb.

After this there were two Pas built at Patea called "Rua-mana" (pit of power) and "Rangi-taui" (days wrung out). Ruamana was built on a neck of land jutting out into the sea. Rangi-taui was on a place at a little distance from the first a quarrel arose between the people of the two Pas, and the men of Rua-mana being the more numerous and most powerful, bid the people of the Rangi-taui Pa depart, the people of that Pa asked for canoes as they had not any of their own, but the Rua-mana people said "no depart at once." Then the people of the Rangi-taui pa cut a deep trench across the neck of land that separated the two pas, and made four large wooden wedges of hard wood, over which they repeated their most powerful incantations, and they drove them into the bottom of the trench which caused the land to split in two the half with the Pa Rau-mana and the people sank into the sea and all the people of that Pa perished. Now the marks of those wedges are to be seen in the lofty cliff to this day at Patea.

Kupe
(Nga-ti-hau)

Ruatiki was also a son of Kupe, and Taiapua also another of his daughters who killed herself at the red cliff Tamure, some time after her death Kupe came there and cried for her, he cut his forehead for grief, the blood flowed on the surrounding rocks which were dyed red and have continued to be so ever since, at that place red rocks are seen by any one sailing through Cook Strait a little before you enter the Whanga-nui-a-Tara (Port Nicholson) heads.

Kupe
(Nga-ti-hau)

To the south west of Port Nicholson is a cliff on the sea beach which is called Te-tangihanga-o-Kupe, where Kupe wept for his wife who had left him, his daughters also wept and cut themselves, as all the flax on that cliff is red it is said to be from the blood of these girls.

Kupe
(Nga-ti-hau)

The tua whenua or mainland was united to Hawaiki before Kupe came to this Island (New Zealand), he cut it in two and made sea between, when he first came to this tua whenua (main land) or Islands (of New Zealand), he found a people here called the "Kahui toka". and the names of their chiefs were Kehu, Rehu and Monoa, they had not any food but fern root before Kupe found them, when they saw his canoe come and when he landed here they were dreadfully alarmed. Turi killed these people when he came after Kupe, Takitumu and Oro-uta are different name for the same canoe.

It was from the account which Kupe gave of Aotea that 6 canoes were inland to start at once for New Zealand.

Kupe
(Nga-ti-rua-ka)

Kupe voyaged to this land in his canoe the Mata-hou-rua (face of double descent) and landed at Te-Whanga-nui-a-tara (great harbour of Tara) and he came in search of his wife Kura-maro-tini (many red aprons) as the younger brother of Kupe called Hotu-rapa (sob of the familiar spirit) and Kupe went on to Pa-tea (white fort) but did not discover Kura-maro-tini there, and he put a post up at Pa-tea and went back to Whanga-nui-a-tara (great harbour of Tara) and on back to Hawa-iki, and hence the origin of this Proverb "Hoki Kupe, e kore aia e hoki mai." (Kupe return, Kupe will not come back.)

Kupe was the first man who came to these Islands (New Zealand) and he gave the news at Hawa-iki which induced the crews of the other canoes to come here (to New Zealand) and Turi was the next man after Kupe who came here; Ao-tea (light cloud) was the name of the canoe of Turi, and Kupe divided these Islands by which the sea of Raukawa (a sweet scented plant) (Cook Strait) was placed between, and by which were separated the Waipounamu (water of green stone, South Island) from the Ika a maui (fish of Maui, North Island) and Kupe separated Hawa-iki by which that land was divided from these Islands (New Zealand) as in days of the long past and of the ………. Hawa-iki and these Islands (New Zealand) were one land and Kupe caused the ocean to be between these lands, by which these Islands (of New Zealand) stand apart from Hawa-iki, and Kupe also brought the Kaka (nector productus) to these Islands (New Zealand).

(53A to follow this)

Kupe
(Nga-rauru)

The Priests of ancient times had very great knowledge to sail their canoes over the sea, as is found in our ancients coming across here over the sea from Hawa-iki in their canoes, and they also went ………. back to Hawa-iki. They were well acquainted with the winds of the various periods of the year and also the stars of the various moons (months) of the year in which they could safely sail over the ocean, and they also knew the exact spots from which to leave these Islands to return to Hawa-iki, and these places are still pointed out by the descendants of those Priests to this day and who are also of the Nga-puhi people at Whanga-te-au (wait for the stream) and Whanga-rei (harbour of departure).

Kupe was the first to come here from Hawa-iki to these Islands (New Zealand) some tribes say he came in search of his wife Kura-maro-tiri (many red aprons) who had been carried off by the younger brother of Kupe called Hotu-rapa (sob of the spirit) but some old people say that which caused Kupe to come to these Islands was that Kupe had murdered his younger brother, and had taken the wife of his murdered brother away with him over the sea to this Island (New Zealand) and after he had lived some time in other Islands (of New Zealand), he had a longing to go back to Hawa-iki, so he went back, and found the people there at war, and Kupe told the news of the good land he had discovered, and many of the canoes which came here, came by his information, and Kupe stayed at Hawa-iki.

Kupe
(Nga-rauru)

Mata-hou-rua (………. the two faces) was the name of the canoe of Kupe, and he landed at Te Whanga-nui a-tara (the great harbour of Tara) and he came in search of his wife Kuramaro-tini (many red aprons) who had fled over the sea with Hotu-rapa (sob of the ghost) who was younger brother of Kupe, but Kupe did not see (find) his wife so he went back to Hawa-iki but he went along the west coast to Pa-tea (white fort) where he erected a post to indicate that he had been there, and hence the saying "Hoki Kupe" (Kupe return) and Kupe did go back to Hawa-iki, and hence the origin of the words "Hoki Kupe" (Kupe go back) on account of Kupe having gone back to Hawa-iki, and also on account of Kupe not on any account would he stay in these Islands (New Zealand) or live in any other land but at Hawa-iki, and Kupe severed the Wai-pounamu (South Island) from the Ika-a-Maui (North Island) and it is said these Islands (New Zealand) and Hawa-iki were one land in days of old, but that Kupe severed them, and hence these Islands (New Zealand) are severed from Hawa-iki, and Kupe also brought the Karaka (corynocarpus laevigata) to these Islands (New Zealand) and that it was on account of the adultery of Wai-raka that she was turned into stone by Kupe.

Hau and his wife
(Nga-ti-hau)

Hau (gift to the gods) was a famous man of the days of old, and his wife's name was Wai-raka (entangled feet) and she liked another man called Weku (wipe) and she fled with Weku, and Hau went in search of Wai-reka, and came to Tara-naki (barb around) and came by the way of Rangi-tikei (day of striding away) and Manawa-tu (startled) and on to the point of the Tara-rua (double…….) mountains where they go down on to the west coast at Wai rarapa (glistening water) where he saw Wai-raka (entangled feet) and Hau bewitched the woman, and Wai-raka at once became stone, where she stands to this day on the sea beach, where the foaming rollers of the sea dash against her, and Hau went away in joy because he had been avenged, and his eyes glistened with delight because he had taken payment from his enemy, and had stood her up erect on the sea shore of Kiwa (closed up) where the sea could glare at her, and Hau gave names to all the places in the Wai-rarapa district.

Now let me give a full account of Hau. The cause of Hau in search of Wai-raka, and the canoe landed at Whanga-nui (great harbour) and Hau went on shore, and he went in the direction of Whanga-ehu (harbour of spring) and as this river was so close to Whanga-nui, he said the spring of the water which might be bailed out of the river of Whanga-nui could reach this river, so he called it by the name of Whanga-ehu (harbour of spring). He still went on in search of Wai-raka (entangled feet) and he got to another river, and as this was near to Whanga-ehu, if he were to fell a tree the head of page (57A)the tree would reach to the river, so he called the name of that River Turakina (fell it). He went still on the sea beach as he still went on the West coast, that is on the sea shore sand, and he travelled till he was tired, and he came to a river where he panted with his travelling, and he said it was a long distance he had come and had given very many strides on the journey before he had got to this river, so he called it by the name of Rangi-tikei (day of strides). He still went on by the sea beach and came to another river, and as he got sight of this river, he was startled, as he thought he could not cross it, so he gave it the name of Manawa-tu (startled heart). He went on, and having arrived at a part of the coast, the wind whistled past his ears, so he called the name of that place Hokio (single whistle) and the river a little distance beyond this he called after himself O-hau (place of Hau) as he sat down and rested there, he gave it that name. He again went on till he was fatigued so he carried his spear in a war like attitude, so he called a river there O-taki (carrying a spear as if in battle). He still went on and as he went he chanted an incantation, and as he did this he was sacred, so he called the river there Wai-mea or meha (sacred water) from the mehameha (sacredness of him self in uttering the incantation). He went on and looked for his wife Wai-raka, he looked or glanced (Kanaenae) out of the corners of his eyes, so he called the river Wai-kanae (the water of the glance). Hau went on to the Paripari (cliff) on the end of the Tara-rua (double barb) mountains on the sea coast when he saw Wai-raka, his wife, and he stood up and said to her "Wairaka, I am thirsty, go page (57B)and fetch some water for me." She went to bring water for him with a calabash in her hand, and went into the water, till it was as high up as her waist, and she began to fill the calabash and Hau called to her and said "Go still further out." She went further out till the water was up to her shoulders, and began to fill the calabash, and Hau began to chant an incantation and turned her into stone, and Wai-raka stands there as a rock to this day.

Kupe
(Tara-naki)

Kupe came in the Mata-o-rua to Whanga-nui-a-te-ra (Port Nicholson) seeking for his wife Kura-maro-tini who had been carried away by his teina (younger brother) Hotu rapa, Kupe went as far as Pa-tea and not seeing any thing of his wife he set up a post at Pa-tea and returned to Whanga-nui-a-te-ra and thence returned to Hawaiki hence the saying "Hoki Kupe" "E kore au e hoki mai" (Kupe return, he will not return) he was the first who came to these Islands (to New Zealand) and it was from his account the other canoes came. Turi next arrived in the Aotea.

Kupe cut off the North Island from the South Island, and severed New Zealand from Hawaiki of which it before was part, and he made the sea between the Islands. He likewise brought the Kaka to these Islands.

Renau-matua
(Nga-ti-hau)

The descendants of Turi say that the first man having been born in darkness was called "Renau Matua" (father go towards) when he was formed there was no water on the Earth. The first man was the day or made of day called the day of Miru tau (year of the goddess of spirits) and he was destroyed and sent to Te Reinga hence grew Pupuki and also Mahara and Heranga nuku.