SHORTLAND.—S ketch of the Maori Races. 333 
It has been stated by many that a native title to land is so complicated 
that it is impossible to unravel it; indeed, latterly the favourite theory has 
prevailed that the only remedy is to cut the knot. No doubt itis a trouble- 
some matter thoroughly to investigate a native title ; but such has been done 
in some cases, and could in every case have been done with the application of 
patience by a person who understood his work and had sufficient intelligence. 
How much of talent, education, and experience is brought into play to 
investigate the title to an estate in England when a purchase is contemplated ! 
In New Zealand it has too often been the case to intrust the investigation of 
title to native lands and their purchase to men possessing no qualification 
fitting them for the office. It is much to be regretted that political influence 
should be suffered to intervene in such affairs. 
To return to the history of the descendants of the crew of the Arawa: 
they spread themselves from Maketu to Rotorua and the adjacent lakes, 
thence to Taupo, and some of them as far as Wanganui, near Cook Strait, 
peopling the shores of the numerous lakes of the interior; but they did not 
extend themselves along the eoast very far in either direction. They now 
form one of the most important natural divisions of the New Zealanders, 
their numbers amounting, on a rough estimate, to about one-sixth of the 
entire population, or perhaps to rather more. They have also some general 
peculiarities of dialect which distinguish them from the Waikato tribes and 
from the rest of their countrymen. The majority of this tribe have taken no 
part in favour of the Maori King, but have taken up arms to oppose the 
passage of the East Coast tribes through their territory on their way to join 
Waikato. They have had several sharp encounters with their own country- 
men on this ground of dispute, in which they have been finally victorious. 
Winiata Tohi Te Ururangi, one of their bravest chiefs and our firm ally, lost 
his life very recently in one of these engagements at Te Matata. 
Eastward of the Arawa, in the Bay of Plenty, dwell the tribe N gatiawa, 
whose ancestors are said to have come also from Hawaiki in à canoe named 
Te Mataatua. Their canoe came to land at Wakatane. The descendants of 
its crew have spread eastward and westward, touching the N gatitai and the 
Arawa tribes, and, inland, the Urewera tribe have the same origin. 
Bordering on the eastern limit of the Ngatitai come the tribe N gatiporou, 
who extend all along the east coast as far as Wairarapa. The southern 
division, however, have for many generations taken the name of N gatikahu- 
hunu, from their ancestor Kahuhunu, who came from the North Cape in 
search of a celebrated beauty whom he married, and settled in the country 
of his adopted tribe. 
The Ngatikahuhunu were formerly much more powerful than at the 
. present time, and extended along the north shores of Cook Strait as far as 
