MAORI NOMENCLATURE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19067, 11 July 1925, Page 11

MAORI NOMENCLATURE.

NAMING OF A STATION. CAMBRIA REPLACES PUHINUI. PROTEST TO DEPARTMENT. The new railway station, one mile south of Papatoetoe, has been named Cambria, after the adjoining estate of Cambria Park. In view of the fact that the Maori name for tho locality is Puhinui, a protest naturally is being made nnd a petition urging tho retention of tho namo that is both historic and euphonius. "There is no reason whatsoever why a hard-sounding namo should bo foisted upon tho unwilling inhabitants to spoil the sequenco of tho varied native names Papakura, Takanini, Wiri, Papatoetoe, Otahuhu and Homai," states the petition. "If wo had had tho slightest thought that there* had been tho least chance of any but tho natural name 'Puhinui' already in familiar use by its many old associations and environment, then wo should most certainly ero this have entered our protest against tho substitution of a foreign name. In fact Puhinui Road and the new j station are already synonymous." If 0110 looks at tho county maps, or an' Admiralty map of tho. Manukau Harbour, : there is to be found tho namo "Puhinui" given to a creek which flows into that harbour in tho vicinity of Manurewa, writes Mr. Georgo Graham. What does "Puhinui" mean ? What is its historical significance ? These questions I hope to j answer, for my copious memoranda of Maori nomenclature shows that I am indebted to the late eminent Chief Hon Kukutai for the information in respect of this and many other such placo names. This is Kukutai's narrative:— Murder Follows Marriage. Warfare had been raging between the' Hauraki tribes and those of the Waiohua of Tamaki—but peaco at last was made. Thereupon a large party of Hauraki chiefs visited Waikato, going by canoe via Otahuhu and Waiuku portages. There a marriage between a Hauraki chief, Kiwi, and a Waikato chief tainess was celebrated, and the wedding party returned by tho samo route to Hauraki. Later Kakuraotao and his son Kiwi visited the Waikato people who sent them home loaded with presents, among other things a historic carved pataka, store house, called "Nga-whetu-o-Mara" and also a largo war canoe, *'Te Puhi-nui-o-Maru." To Puhi-nui-o-maru was a name referring to the wife of Kiwi. For she was a "puhi," betrothed chieftainess from her childhood, when the marriage had really been arranged. Such was the ancient custom in respect of the marriages of people of his;h rank. Maru refers to Marutuaha, the Hauraki tribal ancestor. Returning by way of Waiuku, they came to Otahuhu, where, in response to tho invitation of the Waiohua of Tamaki. they and their company of chiefs visited tho Tamaki people of various places. At Maungawhau, Mount Eden, their entertainment was very lavish, but the people designed the murder of their guests. However the chiefs disapproved of such a murder within the precincts of the pa, so the murderers ambushed and killed Kahurautao, Kiwi and many of his party on their way back to their canoes at Otahuhu. Rautao, another son of Kahnraotao, escaped and with a party of his men, although hotly pursued by tho Waiohua, managed to board 'Te Puhinui" and escaped down the river bv night, past and out upon the waters of tho Manukau. Tho same night Rautao decided to conceal the canoe in the mangrove creek near the Matukurua Pa at Manurewa. Ho and his companions then returned home and told of their misfortunes at Tamaki, whereby his father and brother and many other men of rank had met their death The Murder Avenged. For some time the Hauraki" peoplo did nothing, but at last the widow of the slain Kiwi sang a song to incite her husband's j-eople to avenge Kiwi's death. So Rautao formed a war party which came by sea and land to Tamaki. One of Rautao's first thoughts was how ha mirjht secure their hidden canoe "Puhi-nui-o-Maru." He sent out spies and they returned and informed him that the Waiohua were engaged in dragging tho canoe into the harbour, having apparently discovered it. For its feather plumes had been seen among the mangroves by a party of eelers. Rautao therefore came with an armed party to surprise the Waiohua canoe haulers, and as they carefully approached they heard the canoo hauling songs:— Dras Puhinui till she come forth. Drag Maru's betrothed one till she float; Oh. drag her on; drag her on! Till her plumes aro Been by all. These words wero in derision to the widowed wife of ICivri and a serious curse according to Maori ideas. Suddenly attacking tho unprepared Waiohua people, Rautao slew and defeated them. He then attacked the Matukurua and Manurewa forts of tho Waiohua nearby and brought tho canoo to Otahuhu, whence she was taken to Hauraki. Thereafter tho creek, formerly "Wai-matukurua," liver of the two cranes, became known as "Wai-puhi-nui." This warfaro took place in the middle of tho 17th century.