THE AOTEA'S STORY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21562, 5 August 1933, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE AOTEA'S STORY

A MAORI MIGRATION

BY MATANGA

Far back in tho night of time/ hut not so far that all about it is hidden, came the Aotea canoe from Hawaiki to this southern country. That the story should not be forgotten in days even less gifted with memory than these, a memorial to her navigator has been put up at I'atea, and the other day a Minister of the Crown performed tho pakeha rite entitling all to sot eyes upon it. Fashioned in stone it is, a canoe beauteous in contour and ornament, calling to mind the prowess that was in the Maori of old, what time ho sailed trackless leagues across the Great Sou of Kiwa, with skill of eye and hand that baffles tho comprehension of folk used to manufactured aids when voyaging out of sight of land. The story of Turi is but one of many, and all tell of exploits great. beyond cavil. Far from being the first to mako landfall here, Turi is in the illustrious company of a host threading their way across and across this vast Pacific, setting courses by knowledge of currents and winds and stars and a thousand things unnoted by sophisticated mariners to-day. The knowledge was closely checked and treasured. There were a few outline charts of a sort. But in all requirements of practical seamanship it was the individual mind that had full play, to an extent little appreciated where compass and sextant and direction wireless havo become easefullv available. Honouring Turi, the people of two races here acclaim great ones of old. Thanks to the researches of Fornander and his kind, the traditions of Polynesia have yielded much of high value in knowledge of those days, and through John White, George Grey, Percy Smith, Elsdon Best and T. G. Hammond, to mention men of signal service according to various gifts, such researches plant sure footsteps in the sea. Smith and Hammond, in intimate touch with the region and tho people ! of Turi's story, have set on record, fortunately for others less privileged and skilful, detail upon detail of that story. " The Fleet " Before Turi —long before —came Kupe, whose name shines, out with that of Toi, coming out of the north a hundred years or so later; yet even Kupe was not the Polynesian pioneer hereabouts. For back of him in the receding record is Hui-te-rangiora, who, in the seventh century, as careful computation has it, got so far south that he saw icebergs.- And there are legends less circumstantial of others, in days only a little less remote, who ventured hither. But with the considerable migration that includes Turi and "his Aotea, about fhe year 1350, events of modern significance and influence come to clear vision. " The fleet" they are often called, those six canons that set off together from Tahiti, the Hawaiki of the last considerable migration hither, yet it would be a mistake to think of them either as keeping close company through all the two thousand miles or as making landfall together. The intrepidity of those days scorned a huddled formation on the route, and circumstances occasioned some separations. Yet these six —tho Arawa, tho Tainui, the Kurahaupo, -the Tokomarn, the Matatua and the Takitumu —group themselves inevitably in one wonderful achievement. About the same time came the Aotea,. with Turi as the greatest chief aboard. Turi's Adventures In Percy Smith's " Hawaiki, the Original Home of the Maori," is a summary of Turi's story as it begins: Turi was a great chief of Tahiti, and was born at Mahaena, on the nprth coast of that island, where he grew up to manhood. He married his first wife, Hinaraurea, of whom he was very fond, but very jealous. On one occasion, before going inland to procure wild bananas, he enclosed his wife in a hedge of prickly thorns, so that no one might go near her. Presently Turi's sisters appeared and declared it was a shame so pretty a woman should thus be shut out from all enjoyment, and finally persuaded Hina. to go with them to the beach to indulge in the favourite pastime of surf-riding. Hina was a novice at this amusement, but Turi's sisters were adepts. On coming ashoro Hina trod on a caterpillar, which had been endowed with supernatural powers by Turi for the purpose of wutching Hina and to inform Turi of any infringement of his orders' during his absence. On Turi's return he was duly informed of Hina's disobedience, at whicih he was greatly enraged—so much so that he decided to leave Mahaena. He gathered together his people, and, leaving Hina, sailed away to Raiatea, where many adventures befell him. After a time he left Raiatea with his jpeople, and sailed away no one knew where.

" His people," it is to be added, were by this time increased by his marrying of Rongorongo, daughter of a great liaiatea chief, and by three children of that marriage. Another child was born on tho voyage to these islands. So Turi was in a fair way of becoming still more important. His departure was necessitated by an unlucky quarrel with a neighbouring chief. Having no canoe suited for the intended journey, lie sought the aid of his new father-in-law, who consented to the felling of a huge tree for the purpose. As it crashed to the ground it was accidentally split, and out of one half the Aotea was made. The Goal Reached Soon the journey begun, its goal being Patea, of whose attractions Turi had been told by Kupe—not the pioneer, of course, but a later voyager of tho same name. Aboard was a large company; many of their names are known—some joined the Aotea from the Kurahaupo, damaged in a surf-landing at an island where also the Aotea had been beached en route for repairs, incidents of the voyage need not further detain us. Although in tho vicinity of Wanganui it is understood that the Aotea finally reached Patea, there is sufficient reason to say that, after a landfall on the north-east coast, she went to Kawhia, and thence the immigrants made overland to the spot Kupe had recommended for settlement. Grey s collection of detail of that trek recounts much of deep interest. Stories arc extant "of the historic canoe s being afterwards seen, derelict and decaying, at the bottom of tho Kawhia Harbour. A point to be cleared up is whether Kawhia Harbour or Aotea Harbour, the latter being understood to get its name from tho canoe, is precisely meant in descriptions of the landing. They are separated by a relatively narrow strip, so that they form together two parts of one large inlet from tho sea; therefore the point may be deemed unimportant. \et it is worth attention, and perhaps some fortunate investigator <niay find enough material to settle it. Too much to hope, probably, is that Father lime and Father Neotune have taken such care of the famous canoe's watery grave that sufficient is left for identification. . That the haven was reached by going round the North Cape from the first landfall is sometimes said, but there is better foundation for a stay -at lamaki, an arduous dragging across the isthmus at Otahuhu, and a re-launching on the waters of the Manukau. Tho whole story is bedight with remarkable detail, even to the names of paddles and bailer, and takes an honoured place in Maori lore. A little delving in it would do no pakeha any harm; rather would it expand useful and entertaining knowledge, and increase admiration for the forebears of the Maori in this richly-storied land.