88 Transactions.— Miscellaneous. 



over the reef. He then returned to Rarotonga. Afterwards 

 three brothers came in their large canoe ; their names were 

 Maui the elder, Maui the second, and ]\Iaui the third. These 

 brothers were fishermen. The elder brother let down his 

 hook — his large hook — and caught a fish called urua ; the 

 second let down his hook — his large hook — and caught a 

 kakai ; then the third came near the reef and let down his 

 hook — his large hook — and, behold ! he drew up the land. In 

 drawing it up, Maui the elder and IMaui the second were 

 drowned, and then the third was alone. He landed, and thus 

 the land became his own ; but he was alone. At this time it 

 was made known to Iku at Rarotonga that the island had 

 been raised, and that Maui dwelt on it. Iku then came to 

 the island, and, behold ! it was even so. The island was high 

 up above the sea. Iku went on shore. Maui and Iku fought. 

 Iku designed to kill Maui ; but Maui was great and powerful. 

 In the battle Maui stamped with his foot on the ground. The 

 large island was by this stamp of Maui's foot broken up into 

 many parts, and this is the origin of the many islands in this 

 part of the sea. Immediately on stamping Maui was caught 

 up into the air, and ascended into the heavens, for he was a 

 god, Iku the Rarotongan was then left alone on the land, 

 and he planted the first cocoanut there — his w^as the parent 

 cocoanut. Iku then returned to Rai'otonga. He told to his 

 sister and her husband all he had seen and done in this land. 

 Her husband was a great warrior — -his name was Toa ; but he 

 was vanquished on Rarotonga. He and his wife put to sea i]i 

 a canoe. They remembered what Iku had said about Mani- 

 hiki and all the lands broken by Maui. Toa came with his 

 ■wife to this land, and, behold ! they found it just as Iku had 

 said. The land was here, so w'ere the coeoanuts, even the 

 parent cocoanut from Rarotonga.''' Four children were born 

 unto Toa : they were all daughters. These were their names : 

 Vai, Navenave, Pae, and Nanau. This Nanau became Toa's 

 wife, and Te Poriakaivai, a son, was born. Two other sons 

 were born, whose names were Makatangaro and Ikutau. The 

 daughter of Navenave became the wife of Ikutau, and their 

 children were — Te Mokopu-ongoro-tcnga, Te Mokopu-ama, Te 

 Mokopu-o-ngaroepe, and also Meau and Vaititiri. This is true. 

 Toa and his wife, from Rarotonga, were the parents of all the 

 people on these lands, and the lands were divided to their 

 children. This is true. The saying is ended.' " 



We observe in this tradition that the old story of Maui, so 

 well known in New Zealand and manv of the Pacific islands. 



* It must be remembered that in Maori and Polynesian traditions or 

 histories the name of the principal actor, or leading chief, alone would be 

 given. We must not, therefore, suppose that this tradition implies that 

 Toa and his wife alone came in the canoe from Earotonga. 



