"THE SPEAR OF GOD."

Taranaki Daily News, 18 March 1916, Page 2

"THE SPEAR OF GOD."

LEGEND OP THE CANOE MATATUA. There are many interesting and quaint legends wrapped round Maori ntunes, but as generation 'succeeds generation in New Zealand, the meaning and legends connected with names that are familiar to mast New Zealanders are gradually being forgotten. Tho loss of the steamer Malatua in St. John's Harbor (New Brunswick) brings to mind the early history of New Zealand, the name being that of a migrant canoe in which the Jlaaris came to this Dominion. In order that the legend might be made were widely known, a representative of the Times waited upon Colonel Porter, C.8., ind lie beißg a gentleman well versed in Maori lore, kindly consented to explain the old legend. "The name Matatua should be written Mata-tua, being two distinct words," said Colonel Porter. "The meaning is 'point or spear of God,' and the name was given to the first migrant canoe that came to New Zealand from the far distant Hawajki, twenty-eight generations ago. The arrival of this vessel and its freight of natives has received the attention of the painter's art, and there is a picture in the Auckland Art Gallery which shows the canoe nearing the New Zealand coast, with its occupants in the last stages of starvation, and tho warriors with a set determination on their faces to reach the goal which they set out to seek. The commander of the canoe was Toeroa, and it was not until ten generations afterwards that other I fnigrant canoes, with their loads of natives, sighted the coast of New Zealand. It is from the natives who arrived by I the Mata-tua: that the brewera tribe claim descent, the canoe finding its final resing-place at Whakatane.

"Strange, to say, the first landingplace in New Zealand was Island Bay. It was summer time, and the chief, as he stood in the prow of his vessel, uppn opening up the snow-capped ranges of Kaikoura, being unable to discern the lower slopes of the mountains as his craft approached from the eastward, cried, 'Te Ao Teavoa' (yes! truly this is the long while cloud). Crossing Cook Strait, Island Bay was entered, and the order was given for the skid-bearers to place the skids in position so that the canoe might be beached, The skids were not needed, however, as the incoming tide lifted the canoe on to a flat rock that may be seen at Island Bay to this day. The natives, believing that God had prepared skids for the coming of their Whaka, named the island 'Motu-tapu-te-ranga' (the island of the sacred ways). After a sojourn of a week, the voyage was resumed along the coast, until a landing was eventually effected at Whakatane. Here the surf on the coast was found to be extremely heavy, and as there was every probability of the canoe being swamped, men were directed to jump over the side and pull the craft stem on to the waves. The men hesitated, and a young Maori girl named Muriwai, grasping a line in her hand, jumped into the water, crying as she went. 'Te Whakatane, ahau' (I will become the man), and the others soon followed. Finding the country fertile, the natives decided to stay, and set about the construction of a village or 'pa,' naming the two principal houses, 'Mata-tua,' and 'Whare-tapu-te-raiiga.'"