OUR FIRST IMMIGRANTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 25, 30 January 1926, Page 21

OUR FIRST IMMIGRANTS.

POLYNESIAN ADVENTURERS.

HOW THEY MADE N.Z. CHANCE OR DESIGN. (By JOHN BOLLONS, G.s.s. Tutanekai.) I. One of the most interesting subjects for consideration by Xew Zealanders is that which relates to matters concerning sea ilCe. particularly when the them-.j is the traditional coming of the Polynesian to these shores of Aotearoa or New Zealand. The following investigation proves tke unlikelihood of the traditional voyages being credible. Voyaging means sptting out from a port or place to make a known destination, of course, exooppng sucli voyages as those of discovery. When tin Polynesian left hi* last Hawaiki. and made Aotearoa, lie did not possess this knowledge of known destination. For the last seven hundred miles of the distance, prior to reaching these shores, the prevailing weather is, r.nd always has been, westerly, giving head ■winds and sea? for a craft to contend •with when heading for the northern part of Aotearoa from the Polynesian Groups of the Pacific. The ocean current is also north-east, or dead end-on, and against such a passage. To show the prevailing direction of the current, kauri logs carrying Xew Zealand marks are strewn along the chores of the Kermadec Islands, six hundred miles north-east of the Auckland coast. 'When the s.s. Elingamite was wrecked on the Three Kings Islet, she had on deck an oregon spar consigned to an Auckland firm. Three months later the Hinemoa found the spar high and dry on the beach at Sunday Island, Kermadec Group. That the Polynesian came here by canoe is beyond question, but it was by drifting—not voyaging—having" been blown away from their home waters when out on fishing expeditions, or when setting out —as by instinct the race had always done—to seek other lands and homes. Thus it -will, be seen that wind, sea and cuwent are against a canoe—propelled by paddle and mat sail—voyaging to Aotearoa; still, with the occasional long spells of north-east weather, canoes woujd drift or blow down this way. The tropic bird—Amokura— (Phaeton rubrieauda), which breed on the Eermadec and other groups, was occasionally found on the north coast of New Zealand, having been blown down here during long spells of northeast weather. > Such a passage would be a dreadful experience to the crew of a canoe, and most probably it was on such long drifts that the native acquired the habit of cannibalism. British seamen have bad to resort to this horrible custom in order to preserve life under similar circumstances of exposure in open boats. Landsmen cannot be expected to appreciate nautical reasons why voyages to windward and against the ■ prevailing ocean current are practically impossible in open canoes. Matters, such as keeping headway in adverse weather, lying-to, keeping positions, food supplies, cargo carried as affecting draught, and many other reasons, would probably not strike them, nor, in any case, be deemed worthy of serious consideration by them, when tradition stated the voyages had been accomplished. The Spread of Polynesian Knowledge. The fact that the natives were here in Aotearoa and came from Polynesia "would lead the landsman to believe the tradition which stated the former voyaged here. Comparative tradition is, of course, most valuable, but it does not assist us in arriving at a satisfactory conclusion on the matter of Polynesians making long voyages in open canoes against prevailing winds and an adverse current, propelled only by mat sails and paddles. ■ All modern comparison and much of the recent evidence of Polynesians have been obtained in the light of knowledge gained by travel and converse amongst the natives of the many Pacific Island groups. It must be borne in mind that from tne year 1789, inter-island communication was frequent. Whale ships,' as well as discovery, missionary, and trading vessels, were working in and about the south seas, (.calling at the-Cook, Society, Friendly, Navigators, Marquesas and other groups and islands. Polynesians ■were shipped as boatmen and seamen, thus giving them opportunities of gaining information relative to the people inhabiting the different places at which they touched: On their return to their own islands—although frequently they did not return—the information gained ■was imparted to their people, consequently the folk lore and traditions of the various peoples became well known amongst the groups; thus new ideas were germinated and incorporated in their traditions. We are given to understand by writers on these matters that "the Polynesian left Hawaiki for Aotearoa at the latter end of November or the beginning of December, in the year 1350 A.D., and made the East Coast of this country in December, when the pohutakawa was in bloom. Tradition does not go into detail -of knot speed of the canoes forming the fleet. Pictorially, they are shown slipping through, the water against a hard ■wind when making the land. It is recorded in tradition that six • canoes formed the fleet. We are led to believe these canoes were spaced ten miles apart in line abreast, thus having a look-out front of over sixty miles. No mention is made of the system of station-keeping, ,or how tie positions were maintained. Experienced men know the difficulties involved in keeping station in convoy, even in these days of large steamers, epeed control ana sextant angles. It is absurd to state canoes maintained distance and position in the open ocean when in a seaway. In dirty' weather they would be invisible to one another ■when half-a-mile apart. The Canoe TTnseaworthy. Canoes were' not seaworthy craft in bad weather. Having little sheer, the sea would breach over bow and stern. It would be practically impossible to keep such craft end-on to the sea; beam, on they would certainly swamp. A whaleboat or lifeboat would outlive a canoe in a seaway. It is well known that a whaleboat ia much more buoyant and seaworthy than any canoe could possibly be. This needs no explanation when one knows the difference in weight and. lines of the

two kinds of craft. The native of New Zealand early recognised the superiority of the built boat. Hβ abandoned his canoe immediately a boat was obtainable. Mr. Yate , who was living at the Friendly Islands in 1828, speaking of the canoes in use at that group, states: "Being double canoes, they are far too unwieldy, and when at sea are unmanageable." He afterwards Tesided at the Bay of Islands, and gives the following * account of the canoes in use there: "The canoes carry from eighty to one hundred men; they are tolerably: safe even in a stiff breeze" (this, of course, is in the fairly smooth waters of the bay). "Many have been lost at sea owing to the ignorance of the steersman.'' This is an opinion expressed nearly one hundred years ago. He blames the steersman for losses at sea. A steersman, however, cannot handle and keep afloat an unhandy open canoe. About thirty years ago a large canoe was used on the Hokianga for transporting railway sleepers from the "Whirinaki to alongside the Hinemoa. This canoe carried sixty puriri and ms*)ao railway sleepers, with ten natives paddling. She was very deep, in fact, just awash, and could not have kept afloat in a seaway. Topside planks were not fitted to this canoe. But these -planks when fitted were never immersed at any time. They were for the purpose of washboards solely, used in the same manner as washboards in a whaleboat, and bulwarks on a sailing vessel. 0 Charts. It has been stated that natives made a chart of the North Island. Who has seen it? Was it made prior to Cook's first voyage? There is a chart of the South Island on record made by a native in IS4I. lie had "been whaling mid scaling on the coast. The chart is unrecognisable as a map of the South Island. A chart of a coast cannot be drawn ivith any degree t>f accuracy 'at all by merely sailing along or around it. A surveyor knows what little can be done in correctly plotting a N coast under the above conditions even with the aid of a compass. The uninitiated landsman cannot understand it and credits the native with accomplishments he himself was unaware of. In a second article I propose to review lengthy voyages made in various parts of the world in small craft, with a view to showing the difficulties even under the most favourable conditions in boats of a much more seaworthy type than the canoe of the ancient Maori.