INTERESTING RESEARCH

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 228, 1 February 1911, Page 7

INTERESTING RESEARCH

"THE ORIGINAL DISCOVERY OF NEW ZEALAND." MR. S. PERCY-SMITH'S ADDRESS. At the conclusion of the annual meeting of the Polynesian Society last night, Mr. S. Percy-Smith delivered a very interesting address on "The Original Discovery of New Zealand in the Tenth Century by Kupe." The lecturer opened his remarks by etating that what he wanted to impress upon all, New Zealanders particularly, was that it was a mistake that they were in the habit of making to say that Tasman discovered New Zealand in 1642. This must be quite obvious to anyone who would reflect for a moment, as Tasman himself found people here in several places. Of course, all honor should be given to Tasman, and also to Captain Cook, for what they had donu in the way of exploration, but a Polynesian who lived ages before them made a much more wonderful voyage than cither of these great navigators did. Mr. Percy-Smith went on to show how the power of navigation grew amongst the Polynesian people; it led them in the sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth centuries to all parts of Polynesia, during which they discovered, it might be said, the whole of the islands now known to geography in the Pacific, and peopled a vast number of them, extending from the Sandwich Islands to Tahiti, and from there to Samoa, Fiji, and Tonga, and away to the eastward 01 Easter Island. It was during this period that voyages were of everyday occurrence, and at the same time the peOplu learned navigation by the stars, and even used to make records of the direction of the various groups of islands as they stood one from another. Up to the Tenth Century these able navigators did not appear to have come down to the south-west part of the Pacific. The probability was that they endeavored to do so in many cases, but finding no land did not extend their explorations until they arrived at certain deductions from the flight of some of the birds which paid New Zealand a visii every summer. For instance, there was the long-tailed cuckoo, which had its summer in New Zealand and its winter in Tahiti and the neighboring islands. It must have been obvious to a race gifted with the acute sense of observation of the native that, witnessing the constant flight of these birds in one definite direction backwards and forwards, there must be some land in that particular direction, and it was this fact that led to the discovery of New Zealand.

Now Kupe was a chief who lived in Tahiti and Raratonga iind Raiatea Island, and he, no doubt, observed, as many others had before him, the constant flight of the birds in a south-west-, erly direction from Tahiti, and he took advantage of this on one occasion by provisioning two canoes, one of which he commanded, while the other was in charge of his brother-in-law Ngahue. They came in the direction of the sunset, which in that time was nearly southwest, and they set their course from Tahiti. After a long traverse of the ocean, they made land near the North Cape, and there occurred the circumstance which gives rise to the Maori name of New Zealand. Kupe's wife—for his wife and five daughters were with him—looking ahead, suddenly saw something—great white clouds, which they at once knew were connected with the presence of land, and they called out — "Ko aotea, ko aote.i, kua u tatou" — which means "Behold the white cloud, so we have arrived at the land."

Ngahue proceeded down the East Coast, and Kupc went down south to Onehunga, to which harbor he went purposely to obtain a stock of provisions, and lie found fish and wild, birds. He then' rrtfavned .to the North Cape, and followed after • the other canoe, which ■was niet with at Castle Point, awav to the east of Wellington. They got round Cape Palliaer and along the coast to Wellington, giving names to the placeß as they went along. From the harbor they went to Porirua Harbor, and at a place now called Plinnnerton they, found a white stone on the beach which they used as an additional anchor for the canoe, and which they took back with them to their homes to show their people that they had been to a country where the stones were different from those where they dwelt. After this the two canoes in company passed across the straits and down the coast of the Middle Island, going via Fovoaux Strait and up the East Coast back to the North Island, touching at the Wanganw River where they thought they heard the voices of men, but on examination they found only birds. At Patea they landed and set up a mark, by which | [ Kupe took possession of the country | for his pftople. They then returned to Hokianga, and laid in further provisions to last them on the voyage back to Tahiti. ■ Whilst at Hokianga one of Kupe's daughters suggested that they should hold a great feast in honor of and to commemorate the fact that they had taken possession of the country on behalf of their eountrymen. The feast took place in the district between the Bay of Islands and Whangaroa Harbor. This place is now marked with basaltic columns of rock, which to this day are said to be the pillars which Kupe used in supporting the great heaps of fooa that were obtained for the feast. "This is the place," said Mr. PercySmith, "where Mr. Clement Wragge has made discoveries of remains of buildings and columns erected by people living hundreds of years ago."

Hokianga was the final name given by the explorers—Tlokianga a Ivupe, moaning, "the returning point of Kupe." From there they went to Eastern Polynesia, making "the land first at Raratonga and then at Raiaten, reporting the discovery everywhere as tliey journeyed ■, then on to Tahiti, where .Ivupe gave a description of the events that had taken place. Very great trouble arose, wars and fighting constantly going on amongst the people who were extremely anxious to leave the country to go to the newly-discovered land of Kupe's. 110 declared in a most emphatic manner that as he went round the coast of New Zealand lie saw neither smoke, lire, nor any sign of man in any way. This statement was repeated several times, and it was quite clear, said Mr. Smith, that at that time New Zealand was not inhabited. It is, therefore, for this reason that we claim for Ivupe the great honor that he really discovered New Zealand; and he did all that the modern explorer does. He fixed the direction of the islands, and those have been found to be very carefully done. Kupe says he left

Raratonga in the month of November or February steering by the stars towards j the south-west, keeping the sunset or moon-set and the star Venus on the lefthand side. Now, if anyone takes the trouble to trace that course on the chart l for six months of the year be would find that it was the exact direction from Raraton'ga to New Zealand. Also like modern explorers he reported most fully much ns they do now in regard to all the islands and even as far as the Sandwich Islands, 2300 miles north of Tahiti. Again, he did all that was possible after the discovery to make the fact known, and gave names to places, some of which remain to this day. "On these

grounds, then," said Mr. Smith, "I claim lor Kupe to be the discoverer of New Zealand, and lie should have equal honor with Tiisman if not with Captain Cook." Mr. Perey-Sinith expressed the hope that the day would come when young New Zealanders would join with the Maoris in erecting a monument to the great navigator. The address was listened to by a large gathering of ladies and gentlemen, the greatest interest being manifested in the folk lore and mythology as referred to by Mr. Percy-Smith, and at the conclusion he was accorded a hearty round of applause and a vote of thanks on the motion of Messrs. C. W. Govett and W. H. Skinner.