SrAck.— Traditional History of the South Island Maoris. 59 
invariably been found to agree. With this fact before us, it is hardly 
possible to deny the historical value of a large portion of these traditions, 
which have been preserved by the same method but which cannot be 
vouched for in the same manner. 
Difficulty of unravelling the Thread of the History. 
I experienced considerably difficulty at first in disentangling the com- 
plieated narratives, because my Maori informants being themselves so 
familiar with the history did not see the necessity of explaining as they 
went along why things happened as they did. They would repeatedly 
break off from the continuous history of the tribe to follow the fortunes of 
a favourite hero, and again as abruptly leave him to resume the thread of 
the original narrative. One prolific source of confusion arose from the 
intermarriages which took place between the members of hostile tribes. It 
was bewildering to find the same person fighting for one tribe but wishing 
success to the other, and guilty of treachery towards both. The man who 
married a Ngatimamoe woman would be found plotting the ruin of his wife's 
relations; and the Nagitmamoe man who, by marriage with a Ngai Tahu 
woman, was admitted to that tribe, would still sympathize with his own 
people, and betray his connections whenever he could. Another element 
of confusion arose from the two tribes being spoken of as totally distinct 
from each other, whereas they had a common origin, and this fact 
afforded the only explanation of many strange things done on either 
side. The history throughout is one dark narrative of treachery and 
ferocity, brightened here and there by displays of great courage and 
occasional acts of generosity. 
Chronology. 
The method I have adopted for ascertaining the chronological order in 
which the various events occurred, has been first to form a genealogical 
table, and then allowing * twenty years for a generation, to count back the 
generations from the present time, and thus fix the date of any event by 
the position in the table which the persons connected with it occupy. For 
instance, to ascertain the date of the death of Manawa, take Hakopa te Ata 
^ o Tu, now living, and who is at least seventy years of age, counting back 
from his birth to Manawa's there are eight generations, equivalent to 160 
years, which added to 70 gives a total of 210. Manawa, therefore, was 
born about 1667; and, as he had a grown-up son, he was probably not 
less than forty years old when he was killed. His death, then, occurred 
about 1707. Of course this plan only gives an approximate date, but it 
*I have fixed on twenty years, as the Maoris married early. 
