Shand. — The Early History of the Morioris. 145 



legends similarly as with their Maori brethren, of whom there 

 appears little doubt they formed a part, but from whom they 

 had been isolated for a very long period. That this isolation 

 was the case is shown by their genealogy, counting from the 

 arrival of the " Rangimata " canoe, which brought their an- 

 cestors twenty-seven generations ago, down to the reciter, and 

 from him until the present generation three more may be added. 

 Estimating a generation at twenty-five years, this makes con- 

 siderably over seven hundred years. That they were an off- 

 shoot or part of the same Polynesian race will, I think, be quite 

 apparent to any one studying the structure of their language, 

 although disguised in a measure by their peculiar pronunciation — 

 examples of which will be found to those taking an interest in 

 such studies in papers contributed by me some years ago to the 

 pages of the " Polynesian Journal." 



In the collection of legends and karakias (incantations) there 

 recorded will be seen the close connection with their Maori 

 brethren, together with the retention of many words common 

 to the Rarotongan branch of the race, and common, no doubt, at 

 a remote period to all the race. 



This account ought more strictly to refer to the Morioris 

 alone, but, through their conquest by the Maoris, with their 

 long residence together and intermixture, it has been found neces- 

 sary to treat of both in order to show how they were related, 

 together with the causes which brought the Maoris to the Chat- 

 hams. 



According to Maori tradition and evidence there appears 

 little doubt that New Zealand prior to the arrival of the so- 

 called " historic canoes," " Tainui," " Te Arawa," &c, was 

 peopled by a former migration of a section of the same race, 

 many of whom, as related by the second migration, were killed 

 by them, and no doubt disposed of in orthodox Maori fashion. 

 Whether the Morioris were a branch of this original migration 

 or not is difficult to decide, as also the question whether their 

 last battle, as recorded by themselves, took place in the north 

 of New Zealand or in Hawaiki. One circumstance : The names 

 of places mentioned in their last fight, the " One " (sand-beach) 

 of Whangapatiki, of which they state Tauranga was one head- 

 land and Tapuika the other, together with other names of places, 

 are all common about Tauranga — which, however, may be merely 

 a coincidence ; but the names retained by them in their traditions 

 of such trees as puriri, pohutukawa, kauri, and others (strictly 

 northern trees, but unknown in the Chathams), indicate a pre- 

 vious knowledge of those parts. 



But, assuming their genealogy to be correct, there remains 

 a gap of years to be filled up prior to the " Tainui " migration, 



10— Trans. 



