COOK MEMORIAL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1675, 15 February 1913, Page 6

COOK MEMORIAL.

' ', INTERESTING REMINISCENCES. ■ With, reference .to the ceremony of unveiling the memorial'stone to Captain Cook, at Ship Cove, Mr. Daniel Sana Love, the weii-knowu. chief in tho Ngatiawa tribe, related to a number of the visitors to the spot-on that occasion some very interesting facts regarding the ancient Maori history.of Queen Charlotte Sound. ■■■■■■ ' •• _~ Mr; Love states that the Native name of Ship Cove is "Totara-nui" (The Big Totara). Tho hill above is Puhi Kereru ("The Virgin. Pigeon").' Tho name of the island'opposite is Motu-hara ("Tho Island of Wrongs"). It was so-called in ancient times, long before the arrival of Captain Cook; and, curiously enough, from a Maori point of view.it was aptly named, for, as the Hon. Robert M'Nab stated in his speech on the occasion, it was on the nighest point of Motu-hara that Captain Cook hoisted the British flag, and proclaimed tho '. sovereignty .of his. Majesty King George 111 over the whole iof-tho South Island of New Zealand ("Te Waipounamu").., ' -. —

It is also a ■ curious coincidence ■ that Captain Cook called the islands on which ! the lighthouse is erected ."The Brothers," whereas, according to ancient Maori history, they are "The Two Sisters," namely, Nga-whatn-: ("The Pupils of the Eye"), on which .'the light'is erected, and Ti-tnpua' ("The guiding of pilot fish of tho Maori ancestor Kupe, whose descendant, tho pokeha'acknowledges' to-day." as Pelorus Jfick" ("The Kai-kai Waro"). .As tho Maori legend runs "Ngo-whatu" and "Titapuft" were the two daughters of Kupe. the ancient Maori navigator. He left bis< daughters on the North Island, at Ohariu Bay, and ordered them to remain there while he made a voyage to Kura-te-nn (Tory Channel). They disobeyed their father's command, and attempted to follow him. He turned, and reprimanded them, and then converted them into: tho two,small islands referred to, namely, "Nim-whatu" and "Ti-tapua." Mr. Love picked a leaf of the karaka. Ho said:—A Nativo who had,never previously crossed Cook Strait ("Raukawa") from the- North to the South Island' was compolled to place this leaf across his eyes, to-blindfold-him-until ho arrived abreast of The Brothers ("Nga-whatu and Ti-tapua"). If this' custom was not faithfully observed, disaster wa9 bound to happsn to the cause and its occupants.