Turi's Voyage.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 December 1920, Page 5 (Supplement)

Turi's Voyage.

(By Mr. S. Percy Smith, F.R.G.S.)

riRST SETTLEMENT OF TARANAKI COAST.

BY THE MAORIS.

It has already been stated that the first settlement of New Zealand by the Eastern Polynesians took place under the Chief Toi-te-huatahi, who came from Tahiti and made his home at Whakatane in the Bay of Plenty. This event occurred about the Tear 1150.

For the next two hundred years there was occasional communication between New Zealand and Eastern Polynesia by adventurous voyagers, some of whom—more from the east—settled down in the new-found land. This period, between the twelfth and fourteenth centuries, was one of great activity ih nautical adventure. Expeditions were common between Samoa, Tahiti, the Marquesas and Hawaii, in which many an ancestor of our Maoris took part. But it was not until about the middle of the fourteenth century that this country received a considerable accession to its population by the arrival of the six well-known canoes—usually referred to as "The Fleet"—from Tahiti and the neighboring groups. Among these bold navigators was a chief named Turi, who was originally from Hitiaa, on the north coast of Tahiti, hut who, owing to some local troubles, removed to Ra'iatea (Rangiatea, according to Rarotongans and Mao"3), in the Society Group. It is said that at this time (about 1350) the population of Tahiti had become so great that fobd was scarce; indeed, we have the statement in some of the traditions that the different branches of the breadfruit tree (the staple food of those parts) were divided out to different families. This and other causes led to disputes and fighting, eventuating in a determination of the crews of "The Fleet" to migrate to the new land of Aotea-roa, where it was known there . was room for all.

_ The immediate cause of Turi's migration was a serious quarrel with the then high priest of Ra'iatea, so he determined to leave with his family and tribesmen for New Zealand. From one of the returned voyagers he had learned a good deal about the Taranaki coast, and "had been advised to seek a home "at the river that opens its mouth to the west beyond the snowy mountain". "Bearing in mind the sailing directions left on record by Kupe, the discoverer of New Zealand, his canoe, named Aotea, left Ra'iatea and called in on the way at an island named by Maoris and Rarotongans Rangitahua, which, there Is little doubt, is Sunday Island, of tho Kermadcc group. Here they were joined by the other canoes of the fleet, the Matatua and Kurahaupo, which latter canoe was damaged in landing) on the beach, and part of her erew brought on by the ■Matatua, which landed them at U'hnkatan'e, frotn whence, in the process of time, the people came on by the east coast and became prominent' ancestors of the Taranaki tribe.

Turi, with a view to future food supplies, brought from this island ol Eangitahua some berries of the karalta tree, which he planted at his future home on the south bank «£ the gate* JU

karaka tree grows plentifully at Sunday Island, but nowhere else, except in one place in the New Hebrides, and though the tree is undoubtedly a native of New Zealand, we may presume Turi was not aware of this fact. Proceeding on Ills voyage, Turi made the laud of New Zealand somewhere in the north, and thence coasted southwards to Aotea, north of Kawhia, which place he named after his canoe, and* where that vessel was left.

Prom Aotea harbor the party proceeded overland, travelling southwards, and giving names to many of the places along the coast, such as Jfokan, Urenui, Waitara (?), Mangati, Oakura, Waingongoro and many other places, until he reached Patea (Great. Patea of Turi is its full name), and he and all his people settled down at Matangi-rei, above the present railway station, south side of the river.

Turi is claimed, however, as an ancestor of all the South Taranaki Maoris, as well as those of Whanganui. He is the ancestor from whom these tribes most delight to trace descent, while many of the crew of the Kura-haupo canoe are also claimed as ancestors. Of course, all these people are more or less mixed with the tangata-whenua, or so-called aborigines, who arrived hers soon after the discovery of New Zealand by Kupe. They have already been referred to in the first part of this paper. But in Turi's time their extermination by the Tini-o-Awa people from the East Coast had still left some branches alive, such as the Kahui-maunga people. These aborigines built most of the pas about Urenui, which place appears to have been their headquarters, though they are said to have first landed near the Sugar loaves. As already pointed out, they were the ancestors of the Moriori people of the Chatham Islands. The origin of the tribes who dwell north of New Plymouth is different to that of South Taranaki. They are very largely the descendants of the Tini-o-Awa tribe, and derive their name from Awa-nui-a-rangi, the grandson of Toi-te-turftahi, the first eastern Polynesian to settle in New Zealand. These people intermixed with the aborigines, finally absorbing, crushing or expelling them to the Chathams. It is said that the first 'settlement of Tini-o-Awa on this coast was at Nga-puke-turua, the present Maori village at the little hills just east of Mahoe-tahi. The tribe is better known nowadays as Te Ati-Awa, or Ngati-Awa. The settlement of these people on this coast may probably be fixed as Bome time in the thirteenth century. Northward, again, of the Ati-Awa tribes are the Ngati-Mutunga and Ngati-Tama tribes, which, while considerably mixed with the Tini-o-Awa and aborigines, claim that some of ther ancestors came in the Tokomaru canoe, under tho chief Manaia, who had to flee from his home in Eastern Polynesia after his df feat in war. At present it is impossible to fix a date for this migration; though it was before that of the fleet. Manaia was chased by his- enemy right away from Eastern Polynesia to New Zealand, and a naval battle was fought in Cook's Straits between the rival chiefs, and then peace was made, and Manaia's opponent, Nuku-tama-roro, returned to Lis home in either' Tahiti or the Society Islands. Manaia, after passing all round the North Island, is said —with some degree of uncertainty—to have settled on this west coast, where he fought a battle north of Waitara with the aboriginal tribes.

It is impossible in a brief sketch like this to more than indicate the great amount of detail that has been collected as to tho early settlement of this coast; hut there is very much of great interest, including many romantic stories that some day may inspire our poets, and induce the descendants of these old Polynesian vikings to undertake a close study of the deeds of their hero ancestors. It is to be hoped the time will come when a suitable monument will be erected to Kupe, the discoverer of > these islands, whose voyages far outshine those of the Euro-

peans who wore his contemporaries. Ages before Cnhiinluis or Vaseo de Gama, Kupe had made voyages in Lis frail canoe thai completely put those European heroes in the shade. And, finally, it may be said that but for the Polynesian Society, the deeds of the early Maori voyagers would have been loßt to their descendants,