S. p. Smith. — Toiigareiva, or Peurhyii Island. 87 



This brief account reminds us of many similar scenes in 

 other Polynesian islands in their first intercourse with Euro- 

 peans. The fearless ferocity and daring, so often noticed, 

 and so characteristic of the race, and which was frequently 

 exemplified in the intercourse of the Maori wdth Cook on our 

 own shores, is well shown here. It required no small amount 

 of courage to board a vessel which was entirely new to their 

 ideas of inaritime craft, manned by those whom they looked 

 upon as gods. It is no wonder that, amidst scenes to them 

 so new, their actions should have been looked on by their 

 visitors as violent and vociferous. 



The island was evangelized in 1854 by native teachers from 

 Rarotonga, who found not the least difficulty in making them- 

 selves understood. In 1864 the island was almost depopulated 

 by Pei-uvian slavers : Sterndale states that at least one 

 thousand men, women, and children were at that time taken 

 away to South America. 



The native name of the island, as stated above, is To- 

 ngarewa, which may be translated as " Floating Tonga," or 

 " Tonga floating in Space ; " but its ancient name was Fara- 

 ranga, which is translated by the Eev. W. Wyatt Gill as 

 " Land." A local name for the group was also furnished to 

 Lamont — Te Pitaka, or " The Ring," no doubt in reference 

 to the disposition of the islands on the reef. The nearest 

 land to the island is Rakahanga, distant about 230 miles 

 in a south-south-west direction ; and twenty-five miles fur- 

 ther off is Manihiki, both of which islands are inhabited by 

 the same race of people, and from whence the first inhabitants 

 of Tongarewa came. A man, named in their traditions as 

 Mahuta, with his wife Okura, were expelled from Rakahanga 

 for some misdeeds, and found their way to this solitary island. 

 From this pair the present inhabitants trace their descent. 

 Tradition says that they brought with them cocoanuts, fish, 

 the hara plant, and the birds of the island. The people of 

 Ra.kahanga trace their origin to Rarotonga, as related in the 

 following tradition, which the Rev. William Gill gives in his 

 '• Gems of the Pacific," page 280 : — 



" There is every reason to believe that these tribes, both 

 on Manihiki and Tongarewa, separated by six hundred miles 

 of latitude from Rarotonga, came originally from that island. 

 Their appearance, their manners and customs, their language, 

 and their traditions alike lead to this conclusion. As a speci- 

 men of their traditions on this subject, we will give one pre- 

 served by the people of Manihiki and confirmed by the old 

 people of Rarotonga : ' The first man who came to these lands 

 was Iku. He came from Rarotonga, and landed on Manihiki. 

 On his first visit from Rarotonga this land was scarcely above 

 the level of the sea. He only saw the white surf breaking 



