TKAXSACTIONS OF SECTION E. 301 



was the principi^l (or general) name of those islands ; the places 

 comprised in it were Waerota, Earotonga, Waeroti, Parima^ 

 and Manono." 



17. Ahu-ahu. — This name occurs in the legend of Paikea, 

 who is stated to have swum from the Pacific islands to New 

 Zealand. It has quite erroneously been identified with Ahu- 

 ahu, or Great Mercury Island, on the east coast of New Zea- 

 land. 



Now, the upsetting of the canoe, which gave rise to Paikea's 

 long swim, took place, as related in the Ueniiku legends, at 

 some of the islands before the migration here ; and for very 

 many reasons I believe the scene of Uenuku's adventures, and 

 his place of residence, to have been Earotonga. Paikea, there- 

 fore, in his long swim, did not land at Mercury Island, but at 

 Mangaia, one of the Hervey group situated not far from Eai'O- 

 tonga, the ancient name of which was Aii-au. Knowing that 

 the Maoris introduce an "h" where the Hervey-Islanders leave 

 it out, we have in Ahu-ahu the exact equivalent of Au-au, or 

 Mangaia. In Sir George Grey's " Nga Mahinga a nga Tupuna," 

 page 40, will be found a lament by Apakura for her son 

 Tmvhakararo, who had been killed, in which is a reference to 

 this same Ahu-ahu. The incidents related in this tradition 

 took place before the hckc to New Zealand. 



18. Hikurangi is mentioned in the traditions, and, as the 

 name implies, is a mountaiu. In " Nga Moteatea " there are 

 several references to it, and many of them show that they do 

 not relate to places in New Zealand, wdiere, however, the 

 name is a very common one. In the history of Turi's voyage 

 to New- Zealand is found a mention of Hikurangi, but there is 

 nothing to show where it was beyond the fact that it was 

 some place not far from Turi's course, and that he — iuferen- 

 tially — must pass it long before reaching New Zealand. In 

 one of the Uenuku legends Buatapu admonishes Paikea when 

 he gets ashore to tell the people of the coming of a great 

 disaster, and advises them to flee to Hikurangi for safety, or 

 they would be drowned in the rising waters. Taken in con- 

 junction with other matters, I identify Hikurangi with Iku- 

 rangi, a high hill in Earotonga. 



19. Niikuroa. — In " The Ancient History of the Maori," 

 page 140, mention is made of this place. It may be identical 

 with Nukuroa, the ancient name of Mitiaro, one of the Hervey 

 group (" Myths and Songs," page 17) ; but from the context of 

 the tradition I should be inclined to believe it refers to some 

 place far away in the Eastern Archipelago. Under the various 

 forms of Niisa, Nziha, Nuhu, Nuka, Nnku, Nu'a, Nu'ii, we 

 find this word extended from the coasts of Asia to the Marquesas, 

 and in all cases it means "'an island," or "land," or "the 

 earth." The lesser of the two larger islands of the Ke group, 



