Walsh. — On the Occurrence of Cordyline terminalis. 305 



tion would naturally be abandoned, and tbe few plants which 

 remained in the deserted enclosures w 7 ould be gradually ex- 

 terminated as the number of cattle increased and the fences 

 fell to decay. It is not surprising, therefore, that, although 

 there are several men now living who can remember the 

 general cultivation of the ti pore, the number of known 

 survivals should be limited to the four specimens discovered 

 by Mr. Eeid at Ahipara and the two in my possession at Wai- 

 mate North. 



The question naturally arises as to the probable period at 

 which the ti pore came to the country, and the circumstances 

 under which it was brought in. That it was introduced by 

 the Maoris is self-evident, from the fact that it has never been 

 found in a wild state, and that it cannot reproduce itself in 

 the New Zealand climate without artificial help. The ap- 

 proximate period of Maori history in which the introduction 

 was effected is, however, still an open question, and one of 

 much interest. In a letter to me on the subject, Mr. Cheese- 

 man expressed it as his opinion that the Maoris brought the 

 plant with them from Hawaiki on their original immigration, 

 just as they brought the kumara (sweet potato), the taro 

 (edible arum), the hue (calabash), and the aute (paper-mul- 

 berry), while at the same time he admitted that another view 

 might possibly be taken — viz., that it might have been intro- 

 duced by some of the Maori whalers in the early part of the 

 century, who are known to have introduced the taro hoia (the 

 large coarse variety), and to have attempted the introduction 

 of the yam. 



Now, had the introduction and distribution taken place 

 within what may be called the Maori whaling period — or, 

 roughly speaking, the first half of the century — it is scarcely 

 probable that all recollection of an event of such general im- 

 portance should have already died out. But, although I have 

 made most careful inquiry of many of the older Maoris of the 

 Bay of Islands, the great centre of New Zealand whaling 

 operations, I have been unable to find any recollection what- 

 ever of the introduction of the plant, the invariable answer 

 being that they knew nothing at all about it. The only excep- 

 tion was in the case of Hone Peti, who said that there used 

 to be a song about the ti pore, the words and tenor of which 

 he had, however, completely forgotten. This, if it be worth 

 anything, would rather point to a remote origin. Moreover, 

 the case of the ti pore and that of the taro hoia and the yam 

 are scarcely parallel. These plants would appeal strongly to 

 the utilitarian Maori as yielding a large quantity of food, 

 easily grown and readily prepared, while the other would only 

 afford a precarious supply of a fancy esculent, involving in- 

 finite labour in its preparation, and, after all, of quite insig- 

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