WHAT’S IN A NAME.”

Lyttelton Times, Volume L, Issue 5450, 10 August 1878, Page 5

WHAT’S IN A NAME.”

To use an Hibcvnianism,it does not make much, of a “ differ ” by what name a thing is called. The members of the Harbour Board yesterday, however, greatly exercised themselves on the subject of the most appropriate name’to be given, to the tug for Port Lyttelton. . The matter arose from the London Manager of the New Zealand Shipping Company sending to the Antipodes the message —“ Cable tug’s name,” and in accordance with the telegram Mr Solwyn Smith wrote to the Board, asking to bo instructed on the matter. One gentleman who interests himself in the tug was at some pains to get an appropriate Native name for her. Ho accordingly consulted a Maori scholar, who wrote to Ixim replying—“ The difficulty is to get an easily pronounceable name; beautiful and expressive Maori names ore often destroyed by mispronunciation.” •The Maori linguist further wrote—“ Whangaraupo is the name of the harbour; O-Hine-hou is the name of Dampier’s bay ; none of the names of the parts of the harbour seem to me suitable. Tangaroa, pronounced Tunggorroar, is the same of the Maori Neptune; Tatarc (tar-tur-oy), . dog-fish; mango (mar ngo), shark; Paikea (the demi-god who rode to Arahura from Haiwaiki on.the back of the sea , monster Poutini) father of Tahu, founder of Ngai Tahu, the Native tribe now resident here• Eurahanpo, Takitimu, Tokocnaru names of canoes in which the ancestors of South Island Natives reached North Island from Haiwaiki; Taniwha, though easily pronounced is hardly suitable as it suggests something monstrous in size or shape; Te Kaha, the strength; Peka Titoki (Pecker-tea- ‘ toeoke) titoki branch —small but strong, an easily pronounced word, and applied to express concentrated strength.” The same gentleman gaye his choice between “Tangaroa, Paikea, Te Kaha, and Peko-titoki.” He also suggested maroro, “ strong.” _ The Board, however, were not to be beguiled by appellations of legendary beauty, or barbaric strength. , They wanted something plain, prosaic, and Anglo Saxon, and ignored anything in the shape of Maori nomenclature. One gentleman who : waa working, up his patriotic ardour for the coating public meeting, said that as’one British statesman had a guarantee of his name being preserved in amaranthine bloom in the “ Gladstone ” wharf (at which no colliers may discharge), the great Minister who had hold in sit hand the issues of war and peace for the only empire in which there is perpetual day, should bo similarly honoured by the tug being called the Beoconsfleld. No doubt the great statesman would feel greatly honoured when it was telegraphed to London that his name was to become a household word in our shipping columns; though when at the commencement of his career ho laid down that “ adventures are to the adventurous,” and with prophetic foresight declared that he would “ consort with the immortals,” he oould hardly have anticipated that he would secure a permanent place in good company by having a tug boot called after him. The idea was scouted, sat upon—it lapsed for want of a seconder; and the author of wild end imaginative “ Txion," of “ Vivian Grey,” of “ Coningsby,'" is not to be connected with such puffing grimy associations. Finally, no doubt because the Port is called

Lyttelton, and 11 there is called Lyttelton, not to j>.’ ont ’ on Mhor inst itutions .of the same name,' h Wtts “f® 1 ™? that lho tug be called the Lyltelto'’ 1 ' Member* might wll have taken a hinf fm,' th ° book . of ,b <> Dunedin Harbour Board , tljo discussed whether their launch should be . c,,lJ od after one or oilier of two members, the Plv' 1 UT tbc Reynolds, and who colled her after the .^ on - Mr Reynolds, The Port tunnel h a <? be*.' 11 associated with the Superintendent, who to much urged forward the work, and the’ naino of the Ohairmnsj of the Harbour Board, or some energetic member of it, could have been ensured a lease of life iu a similar manner.