68 
The N.Z. Journal of Science and Technology. [April 
more than a line of cordage, from four to five hundred fathoms in length. 
Distinct portions of this are allotted to the various districts, which are 
known one from another by knots, loops, and tufts of different shapes, 
sizes, and colours. Each taxpayer in the district has his part in this string, 
and the number of dollars, hogs, dogs, pieces of sandalwood, quantity of 
taro , &c., at which he is rated is well defined by means of marks of the 
above kinds most ingeniously diversified.” References to further informa¬ 
tion concerning quipus are given in the Journal of the Polynesian Society, 
vol. 1, p. 127. 
The Maori of New Zealand has preserved in tradition the knowledge of 
a former use of the quipu among his ancestors. There is, however, nothing 
to show that it was ever employed in these isles ; it may be a remembrance 
of the long-past sojourn in Polynesia. He has, however, a curious and 
interesting word embedded in his language. That word is pona, the ordi¬ 
nary meaning of which is a knot, but it is also employed as denoting a 
message or behest. 
The Maori has two expressions to define the quipu —viz., alio ponapona 
and tau ponapona —both of which mean “ many-knotted cord.” The most 
interesting feature of the tradition is that distinct statements are made to 
the effect that messages were transmitted by means of knotted cords that 
needed no explanation. This could only have been accomplished by assign¬ 
ing an arbitrary meaning to certain arrangements of knots, and, neces¬ 
sarily, the scope of such a system would be by no means a wide one. 
Certain sentences, queries, remarks, &c., would be represented by different 
combinations of knots, and such a usage would endow them with a sym¬ 
bolical meaning. We have no means of verifying this tradition at this 
date, but, if true, it implies a very interesting development of the quipu 
system. The question is, was it obtained from east or west—was it brought 
from Melanesia or Indonesia, or borrowed from American sources ? One 
of the former sources seems the most probable. We are beginning to note 
the occurrence in New Zealand of certain arts, artifacts, and customs not 
met with in Polynesia, but which are met with in Melanesia, and all these 
things point to a long-past racial contact. 
If the' Polynesians employed the alio ponapona for the purpose of 
transmitting messages,.then the system was assuredly above the level of 
mnemonic aids, and would, presumably, be classified as symbolism. As an 
illustration of the usage, we give the account of it met with in the Maori 
tradition of Whatonga, an old-time Polynesian voyager, who settled in New 
Zealand probably about seven hundred years ago. Tradition has it that 
Whatonga and others were carried away in a vessel from an island called 
Hawaiki by a gale, eventually reaching the isle of Rangiatea, where they dwelt 
for some time with the people of the land. Turahui, uncle of Whatonga, 
seems to have been the chief man of the party, but he does not appear to 
have reached New Zealand. The mother of Turahui, Mokoeaea by name, was 
anxious to ascertain the fate of her son, and so said to the tohunga (priestly 
experts) of Hawaiki, “ Send the bird of my child to seek its master.” The 
reference was to a tame bird belonging to her son, a wharauroa. In New 
Zealand wharauroa is the name of the shining cuckoo, a migratory bird. 
Wharau means “ to travel,” and wharauroa would denote “ the far-travelled 
one.” This bird was known by the name of Te Kawa, and it was proposed 
that the bird be sent in search of its owner, Turahui, and that it should 
bear a message to him. A tau ponapona cord was employed as a medium, 
and was so manipulated as to represent the words, “ Is it well with you ? 
Where are you abiding ? ” This cord was attached to the neck of Te Kawa, 
