BuLLER. — The Story of Papaitonga. 573 



the early history of this land of our adoption should be care- 

 fully recorded and preserved for the student of the future. 

 As an interesting episode in Maori history, and as forming a 

 supplement to Mr. Travers's valuable paper on "The Life 

 and Times of Te Eauparaha," which appeared in our Trans- 

 actions,"'' I have taken down (in Maori) from the lips of the 

 resident chief the following narrative, for this is the story of 

 Papaitonga as told by Waretini Tuainuku : — 



"Now, friend, sit down on this rising ground, here in 

 the sunlight, and let me tell you about Pajsaitonga, which lies 

 spread out before us. That name was given by the ancient Mu- 

 aupoko people. The lake was called Waiwiri. The Muaupoko 

 pa was on the Island of Papaitonga. At that time there was 

 no bush on the island, only some karaka-trees which had been 

 planted by the residents close to the water's edge. But the 

 island was completely filled with people, the inhabitants of 

 the pa numbering four hundred twice told. All along the 

 shores of the island, in the shallow places, posts were stuck 

 into the ground, and store-houses erected upon them. 



" That other island yonder, the smaller one, was called 

 Papawharangi. It is an artificial one, having been made by 

 human hands in the following manner : First of all poles 

 were driven in to define the extent of the proposed island. 

 Then great lumps of ' negro-head ' were brought from the 

 shore and cast into the water within the lines of the poles, 

 and this w^as continued till a mound was formed level with 

 the surface of the water. Then enormous quantities of hahalii- 

 shells from the refuse-heaps were brought over and cast upon 

 the platform of negro-heads ; and after this many canoe-loads 

 of soil were thrown on top. Then dry fern, and negro-heads, 

 and all kinds of rubbish were spread over the surface, and lo ! 

 there was dry land in the midst of the waters. Upon the 

 island so formed residential whares were erected — four of 

 them. But owing to the encroachments of the water the 

 island has become diminished in extent ; formerly it extended 

 out to where you see the raupo now growing. However, if 

 you will take the trouble to look, you will find the boundary- 

 poles still fixed there, with any number of skulls also, and 

 dead men's bones. 



"The larger island of Papaitonga yonder was a scene of 

 disaster in very ancient times, as far back as the time of 

 Hingakaha. In that generation this island was visited with 

 an epidemic which was very fatal. It spread all over the 

 coast, and the skulls that are accumulated on Papaitonga 

 show how deadly it was. But in spite of that visitation the 

 people continued to live on the island, even down to the 



* Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. v., p. 19. 



