26 
THE TWO RACES WHICH PEOPLED POLYNESIA. 
that whatever changes in race have since taken place, the 
aboriginal one was black. 
In tracing the brown or Polynesian race to the part from 
whence it originally came, their own traditions demand the 
first attention ; they all declare they originally came from the 
Society, or Sandwich Isles, known to them by the same 
name they still bear amongst their inhabitants, which is 
Hawaiki, or Hawaii, the Sandwich natives having since 
their departure either lost the k, or the Maori gained it. In 
their traditions it is stated that they touched at several 
islands, where they remained for a time, and left the name 
of the country they came from, now changed into Savaii, 
the li being turned into s, and the k dropped, which perhaps 
may be regarded as a proof that the k has only been acquired 
since the Maori reached his present abode. Tahaiti is also 
supposed to have been another of their temporary resting 
places • it may have derived its name from being viewed by 
them as inferior to the islands they had left, and therefore 
termed it taha iti , only its small side. That the Maori 
have been at all these islands, is clearly proved by identity 
of language, mythology, traditions, and customs ; the first 
canoes they came in are described as resembling those found 
in the parts they came from. 
Another proof is, that although the vegetation of New 
Zealand greatly differs from that of tropical Polynesia, still, 
wherever the Maori fancied they perceived a resemblance to 
any of the trees they were formerly accustomed to, they be- 
stowed their names upon them. A singular instance of this 
appears in the name of the Arica Sapida, the beautiful-ringed 
palm of New Zealand ; they gave it the name of the Cocoa 
Nut Palm, Niy but to show it was fruitless they added kau , 
thus it is called Nikau , or the fruitless palm bearing leaves 
only. 
They have likewise traditions of their forefathers, having 
brought with them the Arum, Taro , the Calabash, Hue , and 
the sweet potatoe, Kumar a ; now these are all tropical plants 
of Polynesia, and require extreme care to make them produce 
fruit in the climate of New 7 Zealand. It is also interesting to 
