256 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



possessed enabled them to guide their vessels from end to end 

 of the Pacific, and even to the antarctic regions. They re- 

 presented the navigating lieutenants of modern days. The 

 tolntngas were also the seers, as well as doctors of old. They 

 combined with their astrology a considerable amount of 

 astronomy, giving names to all the principal stars, besides 

 many constellations. There are indications too that they 

 were acquainted with the fact that the earth was round, or, 

 at any rate, that it was not flat. This would, of course, be- 

 come known to them through their voyages, by the appearance 

 of fresh stars as they progressed either north or south. The 

 following quotation from the teachings of one of the Hawaiian 

 priests will show this knowledge of the fact that different 

 stars are to be seen to the south of the Hawaiian Group : "If 

 you sail for the Kahiki [Tahiti] groups you will discover new 

 constellations and strange stars over the deep ocean. When 

 you arrive at the Piko-o-Wakea [which was their term for the 

 equatorial regions] you will lose sight of Hoku-paa [the 

 North Star] and then Newe, the Southern Cross, will be the 

 southern guiding-star, and the constellation of Humu [the 

 star Altair in the constellation of Acquila] will stand as a 

 guide above you." Amongst the Maoris the names of several 

 of the navigating priests who guided the fleet here in about 

 the year 1350 have been preserved, and it is known from 

 tradition that a Centauri was one of the stars they steered by. 



The tohuncjas shared, in common with all, fhe poetic 

 faculty, some of their poems being very fine in the original, 

 but generally extremely commonplace in the translation, ac- 

 cording to our ideas. But, then, we generally lack the know- 

 ledge of their ancient history, allusions to which constitute 

 the charm to the Maoris themselves. One of the finest com- 

 positions in the language is the " Lament " of Tu-raukawa, a 

 priest who flourished thirteen generations ago, but which has 

 come down to the present generation — being handed on from 

 father to son — and is still sung with extreme pleasure by 

 many of his descendants. It is these allusions to their 

 ancient history that served to keep alive the interest in and 

 knowledge of the doings of their forefathers. 



Perhaps the most interesting duty of the tohunga was that 

 of the historian. With many branches of the race there was a 

 special class of the priesthood that was charged with this 

 branch of knowledge. I do not think that this system ob- 

 tained in New Zealand, but that all priests were equally 

 versed in the tribal and national history, as, indeed, were all 

 the chiefs. The national records of the Polynesians, as every 

 one knows, were preserved orally, and handed on from father 

 to son with due ceremony and appropriate prayers. The 

 powers of memory in races which have no written records are 



