298 BEPORT— 1891. 



is also mentioned in the celebrated tradition of Tawhake 

 (" Ancient History of the Maori," vol. i., p. 108) ; but 

 in the connection in which it is there used there is little doubt 

 that Vavao in the Tonga group is meant. It was also men- 

 tioned to me in 1860 as the place from whence came the 

 ancestors of the Ngatiwhatua Tribe, some of whom crossed the 

 seas in the canoe called Takitumii ; others, it is believed, in the 

 Mamari. There are other mentions of the place in the old 

 songs. Taken altogether, this place must be identified with 

 Vavau, or Bolabola, of the Society group (Vavau being its 

 ancient name), which is but a few miles from Eaiatea. Vavao 

 in the Friendly group was equally known to the Maoris, as 

 mentioned above. 



Vavau, like Havaiki, is no doubt one of the names brought 

 by the people from the original home in the Indian Archi- 

 pelago. Fornander seeks to identify it with Babao, the ancient 

 name of a bay in Timor. In the Rev. J. Chalmers's paper on 

 the Toariin tribe of New Guinea, published in the last volume 

 of the Association's Transactions, wo find, at page 316, that 

 Lavau was the name of the place to which the spirits of the 

 dead departed, and that it was in the west, as usual amongst 

 the Polynesians. 



5. Taicliiti-nui-a-Bua. 6. Tawhiti-nui. 7. Taivhitl. — 

 In the story of Pungarehu it is related that he and his 

 companions were blown out to sea, finally landing on a 

 strange land. When asked where they came from, they 

 replied, " We two came from Hawaiki — from Taxvhiti-nui-a- 

 B'ua" (" x\ncient History of the Maori," vol. ii., p. 31). It 

 would be interesting to ascertain whether the Tahitians 

 have any tradition of Tahiti ever having been called 

 Tahiti-nui-a-Rua, or Great Tahiti of Eua — Eua no doubt 

 being a man's name, quite possibly Ruanu'u (or, in Maori, Rua- 

 nuku), who was one of their gods, or deified ancestors. 

 Tawhiti, or Tawhiti-nui, occurs in several of the Maori poems, 

 where it implies "distance," and is often also given as the 

 name of a place. (See, for instance, " Nga Moteatea me nga 

 Hakirara," by Sir George Grey, p. 21, where it occurs with 

 reference to ancient names of people and places.) Although 

 the word means " at a distance" in Maori, many of the 

 references in the old songs are to the name of a place — such 

 place being Tahiti, of the Society group. 



8. Ta-porapora. — In " Te Ika a Maui," page 110, is given 

 tlie following genesis of several lands : — 



Ko te rangi e tu nei 



Ka noho i a Hawaiki. 



Ka puta ki vvaho ko Taporapora, 



Ko Taiuvliare-nikau, ko Kukupani, 



Ko Wawau-atea, ko Whiwhi-te-llangiora. 



