ORIGINAL CANOES. 
125 
New Zealand), that a fleet of six canoes was immediately 
raised to go and take possession of the new found land. Kupe 
is fairly entitled to be viewed as the New Zealand Columbus.* 
In another account, Taha tuna, Tairea, Rima rapu, Totara 
karia, are also mentioned. With all these little discrepencies, 
when we find the majority of these names well known in every 
part, with the chiefs who commanded them, as well as the 
ancestors of the different tribes who came in them, we have 
a sure proof that the general tradition is correct, and that the 
natives have a more accurate account of the founders of their 
race than either the English or Spanish have of theirs in 
America, although one is more remote in point of time than 
the other, and labouring under the disadvantage of not possess¬ 
ing a written language to preserve the memory of it, when 
they can thus give the names of all the canoes which brought 
their ancestors, the names of those in them, and even the various 
things they brought. 
* When this fleet arrived, they named the north island Aotea roa, and the 
great Barner island Aotea iti. 
THE PROW OP A WAR CANOE. 
