302 RKPORT— 1891. 



near the west of New Guinea, is called Nuhiiroa. It lias 

 already been stated that Nukuroa is one of the ancient names 

 of New' Zealand. 



20. Baiigi-rlri is often referred to as a place in "Hawaiki,"" 

 and, according to Maori story, it is a spring in the sea, thu 

 source of all fish. It occurs in many fishing-songs, and in one 

 of tlie incantations used at the separation of heaven and earth, 

 thus showing it to be a very old name. In one of the Ueuuku 

 legends (An. Hist. Maori, vol. iii., p". 42) it is mentioned as the 

 name of a country, and, as I have reason to believe that 

 Ueiiuku lived at Earotonga, I think this place is probably 

 identical with Eaugiriri in that island, mentioned iu "Myths 

 and Songs," page 97, in this (piotation: " I te moana i Eangi- 

 riri," " In [or At] the sea at Eaugiriri." The name, however, 

 is a very common one in Now Zealand, and no great weiglit 

 can be placed on this identification. 



21. Wacrota. — -Waerota has already been referred to in note 

 No. 16, wherein it is stated to have been one of the places from 

 whence the Maoris came. In the celebrated chart of Tiqmea, 

 drawn by him under the eye of Foster and Cook, and which 

 furnishes such an admirable illustration of tlie geographical 

 know'ledge of the Polynesians, I find an island called, in the 

 clumsy orthography of these two great men, Oiroiah, which 

 has a very gi-eat similarity,' if not identity, of sound with 

 Waerota. If this place, known to Tupaea, was the name of cin 

 island it cannot now be identified, and is perhaps an example 

 of w'hat I have already referred to as the changes in names of 

 places that sometimes occur. But I am inclined to identify it 

 with a place in Earotonga. Thus : In " Nga Moteatea," page 

 325, in the " Lament of Tiiraukawa," — that old poem so full of 

 references to the ancient knowledge of the Maoris, — occur the 

 following lines : — 



Pukai rawa atu ki te aroaro o Matariki, 

 O Ilerekikhii, o Hereinomotu-kai, 

 Momotu tangata ki runga ki Wacrota, 

 Nekea e Puanga ki runga o Rarotonga. 



Which, notwithstanding the difiiculty and obscurity of Maori 



poetry, I venture to translate as, — 



Were laid in heaps before Matariki (the Pleiades), 

 Before Ilcrekikiiii, before Here the divider of food. 

 Men were cut up [and offered ?] on Waerota. 

 Let Puanga remove them to Rarotonga. 



Now, Vairota is the name of a marae in Earotonga, accord- 

 ing to Williams (Miss. Ent., p. 182). It is mentioned as fol- 

 lows, the language being Earotongan : — 



Tera rau kura ui i te atua a Karavai, e ! 



Kua ki a Vairota, e, 



Karo i tutuki tika ia Oromea, e 



Te koto uft ra i te Tuporo i Te Manga, e. 



