494: Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



sidered in detail their study lecads to nothing ; considered as a 

 whole they can only be regarded as a precursor of white settle- 

 ment, which has proceeded in the South Island almost un- 

 obstructed by the native diflQculties which have arisen in the 

 North Island, repeating here the history of the Roman Britons, 

 whose petty contentions gave to the northern invaders the 

 power to sweep them back to the western ranges. 



Age of the Akt. 



As to the date at which the Maoris commenced to work 

 greenstone, we have only the uncertain traditions which I have 

 already narrated. It is very probable, however, that the 

 North Island had been long colonised before it was known. 

 This would still be probable even if credit could be given to 

 the story of Ngahue bringing back a single stone to Hawaiki, 

 and making implements and ornaments of it, a story which 

 Mr. Tregear thinks we probably do not rightly understand, for 

 the place where that stone was obtained would have to be 

 discovered anew. Mr. Stack thinks, as will be seen from his 

 answers (Nos. 4 and 5), that Ngatiwairangi occupied the 

 "West Coast in very early times, and that the story told him 

 at the Thames that a hci-tiki held by the natives there was 

 brought by their ancestor Marutuahu from Hawaiki may indi- 

 cate that some of the Taranaki and Cook Strait people obtained 

 greenstone from these Ngatiwairangi at a very early date, long 

 before it became widely known. This seems very probable, as 

 Ngatiwairangi, working up only small quantities, would not 

 for a long time push a very active trade, and would probably 

 keep the secret of the locality where the stone was found. It 

 did not, in all probability, get extensively into use until visitors 

 were allowed to search for it and carry it away in bulk, or 

 came as invaders and did this without permission ; though no 

 doubt travellers from the greenstone coast spread a certain 

 amount among their distant friends and relatives. " Not- 

 withstanding," says Cook, "the divided and hostile state in 

 which the New-Zealanders live, travelling strangers who 

 come with no ill-design are well received and entertained 

 during their stay, which, however, it is expected will be 

 no longer than is requisite to transact the business they 

 come upon. Thus it is that a trade for ijoenammoo, or green 

 talc, is carried on throughout the whole Northern Island." 



If it be the case that the Waitaha, who, according to 

 Mr. Stack, must have flourished in this Island before 1577, 

 and whose destruction by Ngatimamoe began about that date, 

 were the people who destroyed the moa {Dinornis) and the 

 pouakai {Harpagornis), then there is some evidence, though it 

 cannot be deemed very satisfactory, that the Waitaha had 

 something to do with greenstone. The recent observations of 



