Page:Hawaiki The Original Home of the Maori.djvu/205

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been validated.
SKETCH OF THE HISTORY OF THE RACE
193

history—several accounts of his visits to Rarotonga to make war on Tawheta or Wheta, when the incidents known as Te Ra-to-rua and Te Moana-waipu occurred. Rarotonga is mentioned in these Maori legends as the island Uenuku went to in order to avenge his children's death. It is not clear from Maori history whether this Uenuku is the same as the man with a similar name who lived in Ra'iatea when Turi of the Aotea canoe left there.

Uenuku-rakeiora's wife and his mother both came from Iva (Marquesas) so says the story; but it is a question if Iva here, does not mean the part of Rai'atea occupied by Te Hiva clan.




Tahitian Origin of the Maoris.

Having sketched out the History of the Polynesian race down to about the year 1350, and traced their various migrations, from far Hawaiki-nui to Eastern Polynesia—Tahiti and Rarotonga—it remains to be shown where was the immediate "Whence of the Maoris."

In the circular issued by the writer in 1891, asking those interested in Polynesian matters to join in forming a Society—having for its objects the preservation of records of the Polynesian race—a hope was expressed that such a Society would tend to draw the members together, and that, by their means, many obscure points in connection with the history of the race would be cleared up and valuable matter placed on record. A glance through the first six volumes of Transactions published up to 1897, will show that a considerable meed of success had attended the operations of the Society, but much still remained to be