PATER'S CHATS WITH THE BOYS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2924, 30 March 1910, Page 89

PATER'S CHATS WITH THE BOYS.

THE C4NOES }F THE "PILGRIM FATHERS." Last week I premised a tew particulars about the Maori canoes connected with the invasion which placed New Zealand definitely in the hands ot tee Maoris; but it must be remembered that, just as the Norsemen discovered America centuries before Columbus did, so Maoris made landings in New Zealand before the fleet arrived —not all at one time, though—with the "Pilgrim Fathers," as one writer calls them. The fleet which took possession of New Zealand seems to have come from the Society and Cook Islands, and calling at Rarotonga, on the way. THE AOTEA, or Aotea-mu-no-TotoV'is said to have sailed direct from Raiatea. She called at an island on the way —Sunday Island, in the Kennadec Group, it is supposed—and took on board there the Drew of another canoe that had been so badly damaged as to be useless. Turi, her captain, coasted down the west coast of tho North Island until he came to the north coast of Taranaki. Landing here, he made his way overland until he came to the mouth of the Pafcea River, where he made a settlement and planted kumeras. Hie peoples were the ancestors of the Wanganui tribes. "The memory of Turi is held in great veneration by the Taranaki people, and songs commemorating him are often heard at the present day, particularly at Parihaka, the town of the departed prophets Te Whiti and Tohu." - ''Ao-tea" means the bright light of morning, the brilliantly clear light of day, or the Land of Dawn ; and the meaning, "the Long White Cloud." used,by the Hon. W. P. Reeves for Ao-tea-roa, is not regarded .as a very suitable one : "the Long Lingering Day'' or the Land of the Long Lingering Day" would be better. Mr S.' Percy Smith, F.R.G.S., iri "Hawaiki: The Original Home of the Maoris," says that.--the Aotea was in no way connected with the fleet. THE TAINUI. The Tainui first sighted land in the vicinity of East-Cape, and after landing a few at East Cape, or at Whangapararoa (Sperm-whale Bay), just to the westward, and some more at Katikati, sailed across the Bay of Plenty and into Hauraki Gulf and "up the Tamaki River to the isthmus where the town of Otahuhu now stands, and hauled her ashore there ih-or<Jer to drag her across the neck into the harbour of Manukau, or Manuka, as it is often and perhaps more properly called by the Maoris." Some say the canoe was got across, but some say not, because the gods were displeased with Marama, who was the wife of Hoturoa, the commander of the Tainui. The hauling-song chanted to encourage the men at the drag-ropes is heard, it is said, to this day According to most accounts fro gods remained obdurate, and the Tainui was relaunched upon the Tamaki. and sailed out of Hauraki Gulf, and, doubling North Cape, got down as far as Kawhia, Mokau, and the Mimi, near Pukearuhe At the Mokau Heads "Hoturoa planted three poles in tokeij of Ids taking possession of the new laud. Here, at Mokau Heads, are to be seen the celebrated groves of Pomaderris tainui, a small tree with a leaf somewhat like that of a, loquat tree, which is found here and nowhere eke in New Zealand. Legend says that it sprang from the skids iaid down op ths beach for the purpose of hauling t/he Tainui up above high-water mark. Here, too, on the beach, close to the Mokau settlement, is the anchor or mooring stone of the Tainui, a peculiarlyshaped, grooved, and polished rock something like an hour-glass in outline, and about 4fb in length. This stone, 'punga, • jr. anchor is to this day regarded with veneration by the Tainui 'people at. Mokau Heads, and is looked upon as the' local mauri-ika, or sacred emblem which ensures an abundance of fish."

But the final resting-place of the Tainui was at Maketu, on the northern shore of Kawhia Harbour, and "its traditional resting-place is to be seen to this day, in a clump of tall manuka just to the south of the village. It is a very tapu spot in Maori eyes Two white stones, each about 4ft high, and sunk in the ground, mark the bow and steam of the canoe, which was buried here, say the Maoris." Some inquisitive pakehas, handling a spade, wanted to dig to see if.any remnants were left, but as the Maoris threatened to shoot them, they left in a hurry. : I should have said that these two white stones, which are about 60ft apart, were put up, according to Maori tradition, by Hoturoa, the captain, and Rakataura, the priest, of the canoe. The occupants of the Tainui peopled the hills of Auckland and became the parents of the Waikato, Ngatimaniopoto, Ngatiraukawa, Ngatitoa. and others, occupying the Waikato and coast of the North Island. " _ THE ARAWA.

The Awara- (the shark) was a large double eanoe; she came from the island of Tahiti, calling at Rarotonga by the way. How the captain kidnapped a priest and his wife —a priest was on board each canoe for luck—how a quarrel took place between them; and how the priest raised all sorts of peril, I cannot give details of. Finally, the priest relented, repeated various incantations, "the tumult of the ocejjn ceased, the Throat-of-Parata closed, the heavens grew light, and the canoe was saved.""- "Her people landed at Maketu [the same Maketu as the Tainui landed at?—Pater] and took possession of the country extending thence to Rotorua, and eventually settled it here and there down as far as Lake Taupo." Oae more and I'll stop. THE TAKJIMU.

I give this because it is of more interest to us in'the south than any. of the others

mentioned. Her voyage from Hawaiiki seems to have been a very protracted one, because, according to the legends, provisions ran out, and some of his people were eaten—probably women and children, he Takitimu was a very sacred canoe, not only by reason of the many and varied ceremonies performed over her by the tohungas to render her seaworthy and proof against the waves and tempests of the great ocean of Kiwa, but because her chiefs and priests were the repositories of the ancient love (Kura) of their race, and it wans they who brought much of the old Hawaiikian knowledge taught in the whare-wananga, or lodges of instruction, to this new land of Ao-t-ea-roa." Tho Takitimu sailed down the East Coast, landing some of her crew here and there, and ended her voyage in Murihuku, Southland, where the Takitimu range of mountains is called after this Hawaiikian ship." These details I have obtained from various sources, but principally from "The Maoris of New Zealand," published at 3.2 s 6d by Whiteombe and Tombs. Next week I may say something about the paddling songs and the sacred emblems associated with these and other canoes.