Cotenso.—On a better Knowledge of the Maori Race. 41 
and remained there at Patea on the West Coast. He also, they say, 
brought with him on that occasion, the other cultivated edible root, the 
taro (Caladium esculentum), and the karaka (Corynocarpus levigata), also 
the swamp-bird, pukeko (Porphyrio melanctus), some green parrots 
(Platycercus pacificus, and P. auriceps), the Maori rat, ‘‘ and many other 
good things for food.”* Unfortunately, however, for them, nature is 
against them, for the karaka-tree is believed to be purely endemic ; so also 
are the two green parrots, and the blue rail, pukeko. 
(c.) The Thames Maoris deny all the preceding, and assert that the 
kumara was first brought from ‘ Hawaiki” by the chiefs Hotunui and 
Hoturoa, in their canoe called Tainui, which they say was also the /irst 
canoe of emigrants thence to New Zealand. Or, as some others say, the 
kumara was brought by the lady-wives of those two chiefs, named Marama 
and Whakaotirangi, together with the hue (Cucurbita sp.), the aute 
(Broussonetia papyrifera), and the para (Marattia salicina),—and, also, the 
karaka ; but this last plant grew accidentally, as it were, the timber having 
been shipped merely as skids to be used for drawing up their canoe on their 
landing. Those identical poles, or skids, planted by them, and now grown 
into trees, are still shown at Manukau! (A suitable match for Dr. Hector’s 
newly-discovered plant at Kawhia—Pomaderris tainui,—of which a similar 
legend is told.)+ A portion of this story is so good that it deserves to be 
fully translated. I therefore, give it. 
‘*When the canoe, Tainui, had been dragged across the portage at 
Tamaki (near the head of the Hauraki Gulf), and reached Manukau 
(on the West Coast), they coasted south to Kawhia; landing there, 
those two ladies (Marama and Whakaotirangi) proceeded to plant 
the various roots they had brought with them from ‘ Hawaiki.’ This 
they did in two separate plantations, at a place called Te Papa-o- 
karewa in Kawhia; but when those several roots sprung and grew up, they 
all turned out differently. Of those planted by Marama, the kumara pro- 
duced a pohue (Convolvulus sepium), the hue produced a mawhai (Sicyos 
angulatus), the aute produced a whau (Entelea arborescens), and the 
para produced a horokio.t All the plantings of Marama grew wrong 
* See Grey’s ‘‘ Polynesian oc herigl p. 212, for this in part. 
t See “ Trans. N.Z. Inst.,” Vol. XI., 
t Here, ‘ai siesse dale aditaiaticn 6 the old Maoris, in according plants of a 
similar appearance and manner of growth to those planted, as their simulated substitutes 
in mockery, is very apparent, and is worthy of a brief passing notice. Indeed, the first. 
two counterfeits belong severally and botanically to the same natural order (and one of 
them to just the very same genus) as the two plants which had been planted and failed. 
The third counterfeit, Entelea arborescens, though far separated botanically, has been often 
planted by Europeans in the early Napier gardens as being the real aute (Broussonetia 
