CHAP. VI.] TRADITIONS. 89 



Their parents are not known, nor the land whence 

 they came. Maui mua is the Tuakana, or elder bro- 

 ther. He went out one day with the youngest of 

 his brothers, Maui tiki tiki o te Rangi, or Kotiki, 

 to fish ; and as bait was wanting, the brother 

 offered his ear, and both together they hauled 

 up New Zealand. There is a mountain near the 

 east coast, called Hiko rangi (literally, Heaven's 

 Tail), which is said to be the fish-hook of Maui, 

 and the island itself was the " begotten of Maui," 

 " Te Ahi na Maui," which name is sometimes given 

 to the northern island, although very little known 

 amongst the natives themselves. This myth, which 

 is perhaps a geological tradition, is very similar 

 to one related regarding the Tonga or Friendly 

 Islands, but the personages are named differently. 

 At a time when nothing existed, says the narrative, 

 but heaven and water, and the seat of the gods, the 

 island of Bolotu, the god Tangaloa, to whom belong 

 all inventions, and whose priests are always carpen- 

 ters on the 1 island of Tonga, went out fishing on a 

 certain day, and threw his line and hook from the 

 sky into the water. Suddenly he felt a strong re- 

 sistance. Thinking that a great fish had taken the 

 bait, he put forth his whole strength, and, behold ! 

 rocks appear above the water, which increase in 

 number and extent as he draws in his line. His 

 hook had seized on the rocky bottom of the sea, 

 and had almost reached the surface of the water, 

 when unfortunately the line broke, and the Tonga 



