ETHNOLOGICAL NOTES OF TOKELAU, ETC., ISLANDEES. 
605 
fear, under the protection of the great god “ Tui-Tokelau,” to Fiji or 
Tonga, steering their course by the stars. The all-powerful Tui- 
Tokelau infused his “ mana” into these warriors, and they fought and 
conquered the Fijians in war. I did not myself see, but I had reliable 
evidence that until recently there were planks “two fathoms wide” — 
the remains ot‘ one of those old island canoes to be seen on Fakaofo. 
At Fakaofo, too, I heard that they had a tradition (which I could not 
obtain) of a war which had hundreds of years ago been waged between 
the Tokelau Islanders and the Tongans. 
The so-called King of Fakaofo bears the title of “ariki” 
(Samoan, alii = chief), and is the only person until quite recently so 
•described. The “ ariki ” is always the oldest male member of the 
four principal families of Fakaofo, all of whom trace their descent 
from the two brothers above referred to — namely, Kava and Pi’o. 
Their genealogical tree is thus given: — 
Kava. Pi ; o. 
When the “ ariki ” dies the oldest man then living among these 
four families becomes “ ariki.” No others possess this title, and there 
are no clan names or titles outside this circle. The Samoan custom 
of conferring the name of the head of the family upon the heir does 
not exist in the Tokelaus. No young man would under any circum- 
stances become head of the clan so long as an older man was left to 
take the headship. 
The old men form the ruling council, and are known as the “ Kau 
Kolomdtua . ” With this name those who know Eastern Polynesian 
will compare the Samoan — olomdtua an old woman, oloiu an old 
pigeon ; Eastern Polynesian — oromatua spirit of a deceased ancestor, 
aud orometua elder or wise man, example, <fcc. 
The Atafu traditions take us further back into the region of 
cosmogony. The present King of Atafu traces his descent from Fatu, 
whose descendant or son was vSingano (pandanus blossom), from whom 
•came Kava and Va lie t*anu a or Vase fan ua (marker of boundaries). 
By Yasefanua came Pi’o and Tevaka; the only two families (says the 
Atafu tradition) bearing rank as chieftain. 
Tevaka, like Pi’o or Pio, belonged originally to Fakaofo, bat 
raised a war against Nulcunono, which he conquered, and then 
proceeded to Atafu, which he also subjugated to himself. And here 
an interesting fact emerges— namely, that previous to the settlement 
of the colony from Fakaofo, as a consequence of the war under Tevaka, 
there were inhabitants of an allied race oil the groups of Nukunono 
and of Atafu. At least, the inference is that such was the case on 
Nukunono, from the fact that there were people to fight with Tevaka. 
The tradition distinctly states that there were warriors organised 
■under a chief on Atafu or Atahumea, as the group of islets is called in 
the legend* 
