Geography

Manihiki and Rakahanga are atolls now politically included in Cook Islands, but, together with Tongareva (Penrhyn), Pukupuka, Nassau, Suvarov (Suwarrow), and Palmerston, they are not geographically part of Cook Islands. References in the text to Cook Islands apply to the geographical division unless it is otherwise stated. Manihiki lies 650 miles north of Rarotonga. Rakahanga is 25 miles north northwest of Manihiki. The two atolls are south of latitude 10° S. and west of longitude 160° W. (See fig. 1.)

Manihiki is the larger of the two atolls and contains about 1,250 acres of land. It has a fine lagoon abounding in pearl shell and Tridacna, but there are no large natural passages through the reef. The boat passages opposite the two villages are short and boats or canoes must be run up onto the reef, from which they are dragged to the deeper water on the inner side of the reef flat. Shallow passages through which the tide reaches the central lagoon separate the islands. (See fig. 2.)

Many of the islands shown in figure 2 are named in pairs with the qualifying terms rahi (large) and iti (small), as in Hohahake rahi and Hohahake iti. Some receive the name motu (island) with a qualifying term, as in Motu-roa (Long Island), Motu Fara (Pandanus Island), and Motu-o-poia (Poia's Island). The large island, Porea, has a fishpond in its interior.

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Brigham (3, p. 106)¹ has given the atoll the incorrect name, Monahiki, and in writing of model double canoes inlaid with pearl shell he has evidently confused the correct name, Manihiki, with Manihi in the Tuamotus.

Rakahanga, with an area of 1,000 acres, is smaller than Manihiki. It is written “Rakaanga” on the maps, from a failure to appreciate the presence of the h sound. Gill, who did not visit the atoll, makes the curious statement that there is no lagoon (11, p. 12). Brigham (3, p. 35) has evidently copied the erroneous statement. Rakahanga is an atoll, and the inclosed lagoon is a characteristic feature. (See fig. 3.)

The small island, Te Kainga, in the southwest, was the original home of the people, but the site of the single village was changed to Rakahanga across the inter-island channel to the south. Opposite Te Kainga is the shallow boat passage. The reef has no deep passages. The presence of the place names Tongareva and Tua-i-Omoka on the south coast suggests some connection with the Tongarevan atoll, in which Omoka is the principal village. The historical connection is further supported by the name Tua i te Ara o Mahuta (the back of the path of Mahuta) on the northeast. Mahuta, the Tongarevan ancestor, is stated by both Tongarevan and Rakahangan traditions to have lived in Rakahanga prior to his voyage to Tongareva.