RELICS FOUND AT WHANGAPARAOA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 8890, 28 May 1892, Page 1 (Supplement)

RELICS FOUND AT WHANGAPARAOA.

[by E. S. BROOKS, J UN.] The wide intoresb thai) is taken both in the present and the past of New Zealand I found even to spread to the Far North ; this through the influential journal the Weekly" News, a literary effort that has always ranked high, partly by its well-selected contributions on all the varied subjects of interest. This educational course has somewhat aroused tho apathy of tho colonists, creating a demand for still further information. One cannot well approach tho subject of relics of tho past without in some way referring to an authority, or to somo standard work. It is in this department that wo are still very defective. Sir Goorgo Grey's works stand preeminently in their completeness, allowing a master hand. Colenso's contributions gathered together would form the next valuable work of reference. Then the " Ancient History of the Maori," by John White, of which there are already in the hands of the Government MSS. for other four volumes, making in all ten volumes, with one extra of illustrations, which it is to be hoped some effort will be made to have ready for tho public, as no library can bo complete without these. These go j into details, giving the names of tho tribes and source from which tho traditional accounts have been derived, with the scientific names of birds, trees, etc., really making it a "students' reference." At the I same time, in entertaining literature it ! cannot compete with tho two former. That the Maoris, when thoy as a race cense to exist, will live in poetry, history, and romance, cannot for a moment be disputed ; but that they should be swayed by an enthusiastic desire to preserve relics relating to themselves is quite, I may say, of uncommon occurrence, and it is only in this way that I can account for a recent windfall of antiquities. When visiting the nativo mooting at Waitangi on April 12, I had an intimation from Paratene, a young chief, that some very old Maori implements had just recently been discovered at Whangaparaoa, and that it was intended that I should see them. Taking no more notico of the circumstance, as believing it to be somewhat improbable in its nature, 1 gavo no more attention to it. However, on the 10th of May a chief of the Oruawharo settlement, named Ngataru, came over in a boat to my place at Takapau, bringing with him these relics. They comprised a kumera digger, a pointed stick of maire, about '2ft oin long and l.Un thick, having a blade shape towards the point, but so aged in looks as to stamp it a valuable curio. The way the natives used it was in a sitting posture, having it (irmly grasped in both hands at a right angle with their arms, almost at full length, when they would send it in the ground, then using it the same as a rake, drawing it towards the body. The second was a flax-beater, used for dressing flax with (of which material they made clothes), so the refute would become broken and partly detached, and} the fibres could bo more easily cleaned. The length of this is and the head of the beater 4:n average diameter, with handle -sin thick. This rclic had been specially pointed out to mo as showing plainly the marks left made by the stone axe when it was originally shaped. This also is made of maire. The next in order came tho fern root beater, of tho same wood, close upon 14Ain long, and tapering from 2Ain diameter down to the bottom of the handle, which had a diameter of ljin. This they used by placing a stone upon the ground, then they beat tho fern root upon it, and as it becamo crushed they doubled it up and pounded J* again until quite soft. These last two articles also showed great age. A nativo named Mata Kino, who belongs to the tribe owning this land at Whangaparaoa, happened to be digging gum upon this peninsula, and when ho had got 6ft down his spade struck upon the tlax beater, of which it now shows tho marks, after which the others were discovered close by. Close alongside these relics lay a greenstone, some 3 in longand Mil wide, with aholo in the top, worn as an ornament. The native attributed the thinness of it to its great age and having been worn. Here, close to where these relics were found, the canoe Tainui is said to have landed the first natives who immigrated to Now Zealand from Hawaiki ; also tho first moras are said to have been planted upon this ground. They havo a beautiful description of their first landing upon this spot of ground, it being at the time the pohutukawa was in flower, and it is well worth a perusal. It may be found at page 89, " Polynesian Mythology," by Sir George Orcy. Tho native theory respecting these relics is this :—That the Maori to whom they belonged camo out in the celebrated canoo Tainui, and that ho had been killed and eaten, afterwards burying these things with his bones, and since this occurred there has been an accumulation of earth over the whole* by a slip or otherwise. Taking the account as correct, theso relics become at once valuable, as it at onco proves that tho kumera had been planted here several hundreds of years ago ; also, that the flax, too, had been used in the manufacture of their clothing, and that the fern root used to be a principal article of food. More so, tho native dwelt upon the wood as the maire, known to them to be tho oldest wood used by them, and a wood that time seems to have but little effect upon. Yet they show every sign that some hundreds of years have rolled over them, while they have been lying buried on this historical peninsula. Still, more so, wo know when theso wore first deposited hero they were in possession of the greenstone, tho native assuring mo it was of a very ancient mako, and time must have worn it into the shapo (thinness) it has now assumed.

Ib appears fco me, before many years shall elapse, we may have still more definite information of the first immigrants and the once mythical canoe Tninui (Great Tide). And it pave mo more than ordinary pleasure to view these ancient relies, especially considering the distance they had been brought for me, and the natives concerned 1 cannot but applaud for the interest they have taken in the matter. They will bo forwarded to the curator of tho Auckland Museum, when no doubt they will still further assist in making the South Sea Islands collection in the new building shortly to be opened of greater interest.