Smith. — On the Tohunga-Maori. 255 



If we believe — and I think there is no longer room to 

 doubt it — that the Polynesians came originally from India, 

 or dwelt for a long time in that country, we may expect to 

 find amongst some branches of the race a certain amount of 

 the knowledge of what, in Europe, is termed the Eastern 

 culture, but which we from our position term Western. 

 Some slight indications of the almost transcendental powers 

 of the Indian people ought to be found amongst the Poly- 

 nesians. A few traces of these will be alluded to shortly. 

 But thinking, as I do, that the Polynesians were in India 

 before the Aryan irruption, and that they gradually gave 

 place to the latter after a contact of no long duration, 

 the amount of knowledge the Polynesians retain will be 

 found to be much attenuated, and interwoven with their own 

 peculiar cult, which is probably just as old as that of the 

 Aryans. Contact between the two peoples, first as enemies, 

 afterwards as neighbours, and again as enemies, must, how- 

 ever, have allowed time for Aryan influences to affect the 

 Polynesians, and some of these influences may still probably 

 be seen amongst the latter people. 



First let me say that the earliest record I have come 

 across of the existence of a priesthood amongst any of the 

 Polynesians is contained in the Earotongan traditions, of 

 which I was so fortunate as to procure a manuscript copy 

 the year before last on my visit to Eastern Polynesia. The 

 reference to it is not an extensive one, but the fact is men- 

 tioned in the mythical guise so common to these very ancient 

 traditions. Whilst the people were living in Atia-te-varinga, 

 the most ancient country of which that branch of the race 

 has cognisance, the priests are shown to have done certain 

 wondrous things, besides having functions to perform in the 

 elections of the ruling chiefs, or Arikis. 1 have attempted 

 to show in another place* that Atia-te-varinga is India, also 

 called in the Earotonga dialect Avaiki-te-varinga. This is 

 the country in which the race originated according to those 

 traditions ; and here we find at this early date a priesthood 

 already developed and acting in its sacerdotal capacity in con- 

 nection with the ruling power. Trusting to the genealogical 

 tables, the date may be fixed at about the year 450 b.c. 

 when these priests are first introduced to our notice. The 

 important functions they there performed have been con- 

 tinued uninterruptedly down to the present day ; for, what- 

 ever the source of the traditions may be, the mention of 

 the priests is frequent. They were the astrologers, magicians, 

 poets, historians, often warriors, and, not least important, 

 the navigators, where the great knowledge of the stars they 



" Journal of the Polynesian Society," vol. viii. 



