MAORI LEGEND OF THE ORIGIN OF VOLCANIC FIRE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1277, 1 July 1886, Page 2

MAORI LEGEND OF THE ORIGIN OF VOLCANIC FIRE.

At this'time, when the long slumbering fires of tho volcanic zone hsve burst forth with such fearful effect it may not be uninteresting If we quote a Maori legend respecting the origin of hot springs, as told by Te Henhen to Hochstetter upwards of 30 years ago. “ Among the first immigrants who came from Hawaikl to New Zealand was also the chief Ngatlroirangi (heaven’s runner, or the traveller in the heavens) Ha landed at Maketu, on the East Coast of the North Island. Thence he set off with his slave Ngaurnhoe for the purpose of exploring the new country. He travels through the country; stamps springs of water from the ground to moisten scotched valleys; scales hills and moan tains, and beholds towards the south a big mountain, the Tongarlro (literally “towards south”). He determines on aseading that mountain in order to obtain a better view of that country. He comes i-Ro the inland plains to Lake Tanpo. There he hid a large cloth of kiekie leaves tattered and torn by bushes. The shreds take root, and grow up into kowai tre.'s. Then he ascends the snow-clad Tongariro ; the e they sufiared severely from cold, and the chief shouted to his sisters who had remained upon [White IsUno] to send him some fire. The sisters heara his ctll, and sent him the sacred fire they had brought from Hawaiki. i hey sent it to him throngh two Taniwhas (mountain or water spirits living under-gr-mod), Papa and Te Haeata, by a sub erranean passage to the top of Tongarlro, The fire just arrived in time to save the li e of tho chief, bat poor Ngauruho ■ was dead when the chief turned to give him the fire. On this account the hole through which the fire made its appearance, the active crater of Tongariro, is called to this day after the slave Ngauruhoe ; and the sacred fire still barns to this very day wl'hln tho whole underground p-srage between iv hikari and Tongar ro ; it burns at Matou llora, llotciti, Rotorua, Rotomahana, Orakeikoraico. and Ttupo, where it blazed forth when the Tmiwhas brought it. Hence the innumerable hot springs at all places mentioned. Tftls legend affn-ds a remarkable instancs of the accu ate observation of tho natives, w to have thus indicated tho true line of tho chief volcanic faction in the North Island ” Another legend says: —“ When Mtui steppad upon tho island fished out of the sea, ha took th-ough ignorance some of the fire into his hand tod, horrified, flung It into the sea, where subsequently the volcano Whakari arose. The athea of the volcano M«ni scattered ab mu his feet, and thus tho fire-vomiting mountains of the island and the numerous hot springs originated.”