THE MEANING OF WAITARA.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 September 1930, Page 2

THE MEANING OF WAITARA.

(To the Editor.) Si Vj —j n a recent number of your valuable journal I made some icmuiks on an interpretation of the name “Waitara” given by Mr. W. HA Skinner at a public lecture a day or two before. I gather that here and there my letter was regarded, as an indication, not only of a difference of opinion, but also of personal feeling. I should like to take this opportunity of correcting any such impression. My acquaintance vvHh Mi. Skinner goes back to the early nineties. We were officers in the same Department of State, our official careers Were parallel and identical, our respective duties never intersected, and were entirely unrelated. Our association has been purely social and personal, and our relations have always been normal and cordial, and, so far as I am concerned, nothing has ever occurred to disturb the harmony of our long acquaintance. There is, however, another matter. It has occurred to me that possibly Mr. Skinner never intended the statement that “Waitara” means “wide steps” to bo taken literally. If that is so, then it is. another matter altogether, but J could hardly be blamed for taking the words at their face value. There can be no manner of doubt that “Wa.itara” means “Tara River.” (The or “Follow-the-'Dart” theory cannot be taken seriously, and must be ruled out of court). Now “tara” has more than one meaning and here Mr. Skinner was on delicate ground. If one of the meanings is to be accepted, the idea apparently is that the early discoverers, when fording the river on foot at low water, found the current strong and in order to keep their footing, planted their feet wide apart, with the result that parts of their bodies were- exposed to the water. Always admirably keen in the proprieties, Air. - (Skinner lightly skated over the thin ice, and landed, adroitly enough, on the opposite bank. I think, however, this little story may be discredited. The very fact that, the name figures in the “Wai-tara-nui-o-Ngaruo” legend is sufficient warrant for this view. The “Tara” or “Tara-nui” of Ngarue was nriquestiionably a bird, a kind of seagull, now extinct. This leaves the meaning of “Waitara” perfectly clear. It means, simply, “.Seagull River.” Just that, and nothing else, and the "wide steps” and “Whai-tara” stories may be put info sealed envelopes and dropped carefully overboard into deep water, and carried out to sea, where perhaps the mermaids will find them and play games with them. In this very minor matter, just as in “matters of great pith and moment,” what Mr. Skinner wants, ami what 1 want, and what everybody wants, is just the truth, and nothing but. the truth, and if, in our several quests, our tracks cross, well, why worry! 1 am sure Mr. .Skinner won’t, ami .1 don’t think I will! When Jason set out for the Golden. Fleece, I’m sure he did not worry about King Aetas and his alleged proprietary and prescriptive

rights. If he had, the Golden Fleece would probably still be nailed to a tree in the island of Colchis, unless in the ineantiine. of course, it had been destroyed by moths or eaten hy ver--niin.—l am, etc., W. T. MORPETH. “&1. Avards,” New Plymouth. .Sept. 10, 1930.