Kupe and Hotu-ropa
(Nga-ti-hau)

The ancients say that Kupe (obstinate) was the first man to land on these Islands, and he came in his canoe Mata-orua(horua) (drooping face) and he landed at Te-whanga-nui-a-tara (the great harbour of Tara, barb). He came in search of his wife Kura-maro-tini (many red aprons) who had been taken away from Hawa-iki (broken and consumed) by the younger brother of Kupe called Hotu rapa (animosity continued).

Kupe went from Te-whanga-nui-a-tara to Pa tea (clear or white fortification) on the west coast, where he heard the cry of the Kokako (Callaeas Cinerea) on the inland side of where he then was, and he thought it was the voice of man, and he went to see the man who had uttered that voice, but he did not see any man, nor did he see his wife, and he put a post up at the place, and went back to the Whanga-nui-a-tara, and embarked and went back to Hawa-iki, and hence the saying so often repeated (proverb):

"Hoki Kupe, e kore a Kupe, e hoki-mai."
(Kupe return? Kupe will not come back.)

It was said by the men of ancient days, that Kupe severed these Islands from Hawa-iki, and Kupe also caused the sea at Rau kawa (Cook Strait) he cut the South from the North Island the Ahi a Maui (the fire of Maui) South Island from Te-ika-roa-a-Maui (the big fish of Maui) North Island, and hence this song which is sung by the people:

I will sing, I will sing
I will sing, of Kupe of
The man who severed
The land. Kapiti stands
Apart, Mana stands apart
Aro-pawa stands apart
page (36) And these are the signs
Of the power of my ancestor
Kupe, who took Ti-tapua
And I will take all the land.

It was through the affects of the account which Kupe gave of his travels, and his discovery of these Islands when he returned to Hawa-iki, that caused the migration of the people from there in the various canoes that came from that place in search of these Islands (New Zealand) and the aged people say that Tai-nui, Arawa, Kura-hau-po, Mata-atua, and Toko-maru were the canoes which left Hawa-iki together on their voyage to these Islands (New Zealand) and Turi was the man who came in his canoe Ao-tea also came from Hawa-iki after these five canoes, and he landed in these Islands (New Zealand) on the west coast (of the North Island) Ika a maui, and Turi is held by the tribes of that west coast as a chief of supreme rank.

The reason which caused Turi to leave Hawa-iki was war, that is soon after the crops of kumara had been taken up in Hawa-iki, a small kumara tuber was taken by the younger brother of Turi called Pou akoako (easy splitting post) to the lord and supreme chief Ue nuku, as an offering to the god of the kumara, through his Priest Ue-nuku. Ue-nuku was angry at the gift being so insignificant from the crop, so Ue-nuku swallowed the gift and the gift taken Pou akoako (root or origin of all teaching) and Turi was angry at Ue nuku swallowing his younger brother, so he went and killed the child of Ue-nuku called Oue-potiki (the youngest child who sculls with a paddle scull) and cooked and eat him, but his liver he put into a basket of food page (37)which was usually taken at meal times to Ue-nuku, and as Ue-nuku did not discover what the liver was, but eat it, but afterwards he found he had eaten the liver of his son, which had been given to him by Turi in a deceitful way, and had been placed in the basket of food by Turi which was usually sent to him by the people, this made Ue-nuku very angry, and he sang a song to make the people take action in this matter. His song was:

Go and fetch the many of Ng-ti-rongo-tea
And muster, and collect a crowd, a thousand
To take revenge for the death of Ue-potiki.
Let Reka be offered in propitiate to Mua
Draw Rongo together now, and assemble all.

When Turi had heard the words of the song of Ue-nuku, he went to his father in law called Toto (blood) and asked for the canoe Ao-tea (white cloud) to be given to him, and he obtained it and he and his family and tribe embarked in her, but he forgot the bailer of this canoe, the name of which was Tapua-horo nuku (wait for a land slip) and the name of his paddle (the paddle of Turi) was Kau-tu-ki-te-rangi (swim event to heaven). And they put on board of the canoe Ao-tea, the Pukeko (or Pakura, porphyrio melanotus), Kiore (rat), Po-whaitere (little green ……….), Moe-one (a species of grub) Awhato (awheto, sphaeria robertsii) the kumara (ipomoea batatas) the Karaka (corynocarpus laevigata) Hue (gourd) and his god Maru, which god was brought in charge of his Priest Ta-po (breath at night). They had not been long at sea when this Priest eased himself in the canoe, for which Turi threw him into the sea, at which the god Maru muttered in a sort of groan or grunt (ngunguru) and said "If you leave page (38)my vessel, we shall not get to Nuku-roa (long distance) but let me sit on the outrigger, and we shall arrive at Uku-rangi (washed heaven)." To which Turi agreed, and again Ta-po was taken on board of the canoe Ao-tea, and they landed on the Island in mid ocean called Mo-tiwhatiwha (speckled) and the dog called Ikiiki-rawa (excessive) which was cooked, and Po-toru (three nights) eat this dog, and he became deranged, and hence Po-toru could not think in a correct manner, so he sailed away in his canoe Te ririro (cord or rope of three strands) and he and his people were consumed by the Parata (a monster in the sea, who breathes, which is the cause of the flood and ebb tide).

Another account of the canoe of Toto (the father in law of Turi) is that this canoe was made in the river Tau-toru (three years) and when this canoe (Ao-tea) was finished she was given to the lord (husband) of the daughter of Toto, to Turi, and Turi made a sail for this canoe, and he called the name of that sail Mata-orua, or horua (drooping face) and then Turi sailed away to Whiti-marama (shining light) which is the name of some other land (beside the of Hawa-iki and Ao tea roa).

The mouth of the Parata, is where the rough seas of the ocean are, and where the sea flows and ebbs, that is such place is where the Parata (the god of the sea) breathes, as he breath outwards, it is flood tide (exhaled) and where he breaths in, it is ebb tide (inhales) and the part of the sea where the tide ebbs and flows, on whence such originates is the throat of the Parata.

Karaka (corynocarpus laevigata) from which place he sailed away to the Au-pouri (dark stream North Cape) from page (39)which place he sailed to Ao-tea, where he left his canoe where she turned into stone, where she is to this day, and Turi went on shore and proceeded inland, and he gave names to the following river, Kawhia (embraced), Maro-kopa (apron doubled up) Mokau (not tattooed), Moa ka-tino (………. moa) Tonga-porutu (splashing of the south) Mimi (make water) Wai tara (water of baptism) Wai-o-ngana (water of the noise) Wai-whakaiho (downstream water) Kaupoko-nui (swing of the great head) Wai-ngongoro (snoring water) Tanga-hoe (rest of the paddling) Hinga-hape (bow legged falling) where Turi slipped down, and he named all the rivers from Ao-tea (light on clean white cloud) to Pa-tea (clear or light fortification) and Hou (go into as a worm into earth) named the rivers from Pa-tea to Wai-rarapa (glistening water).

Turi set a crop of kumara at Pa-tea, which spot was called Hekeheke-i-papa (descend from Papa, earth) where Turi saw the post put up by Kupe there at Rangi-tawhi (the day of going round) where he also scooped up some soil in his hand and smelt it, and he pronounced the soil good, and hence the saying "The soil that Turi smelt" which is ………. to good land, where he killed his dog called Mata-ware (face of the poor) but the body of this dog which he had killed to eat, was lost, or it was taken by someone, and when he went to get the body of the dog 'to cook it', it was gone, so he blamed to tribe for taking it and Turi said to his daughter Tane-roa (long husband) "Men, or children have stolen the body of my dog", this made her flee, and she went to live at Papa-whero (red slab) where she gave birth to two children to whom she said "When you two are full grown, that is when you are men, there is plenty of food for you two on the other side yonder (of the river) page (40)at the home of my brother Turanga-i-mua (stand before or in front).

Turi and his son killed the original people of the land, that is the people called Te-kohikohi (the collected).

In the days when Turi went to cultivate his crops, or to fish, or dig fern root, or spear birds, or work at the various occupations he was employed in his district, and lest Te Kohikohi, who were his enemies should know he was absent from his Pa (fort) and that all his people could go with him to help in the work he was to perform, he took a Matuku bird (bittern) and placed it in his Pa (fort) and when the bird uttered its voice, that is when it called Hu-hu-hu, men might think Turi was still in his Pa with his tribe, and Turi said that power might be given to the bird, he chanted an incantation to the bird, that the bird might be able to call Hu-hu-hu, and this is the incantation Turi chanted to the bird:

The Bittern of where?
The Bittern of Wai aua
What sort of Bittern?
A Bittern to guard
And understand the word?
And know its input too
To know the daring heart
And know the language spoken
To the medium god
And make each language true
And steadfast – and true,
And then o Hau
Be also strictly right
The Bittern of where?
The Bittern of Wai ngongoro.

page (41)

Turi also went and chanted an incantation over the Tanga-hoe (rested paddle) river and over Hinga-hape (bandy legged fallen) Pa-tea, (white fort) Whenua-Kura (red soil) and by the influence of the words of that incantation the bird Bittern was fully empowered and strengthened to utter the Hu, hu, hu, in the Pa (fort) so that those who went to the Pa as visitors when Turi and his people were absent from it, heard the voice of the Bittern they ran away in fear and did not enter the Pa.

Turi lived on these Islands (New Zealand) and his thinking over his home at Hawa-iki, he became sorrowful in his heart and longed for Hawa iki, his sorrow for Hawa iki became so great that he became deranged, and he ran into the Pa-tea river (and was drowned). He committed suicide there.

The House of Turi Matangi-rei (wind of the valued) and his kumara farm at in the Pa-tea district, is shown in these days, but in the days when the first Europeans came there, the carved stone posts were still in their places as boundary posts from these spots, there were thirty twice told of those stone posts, and the water spring of Turi is still shown at this day, and the water of the spring is partaken of by the people of these days.

(36A to follow this)

Kupe and Turi
(Nga-ti-hau)

Kupe was the first man to travel on this land called Ao-tea (New Zealand) and Mata-orua (horua, drooping face) was the name of the canoe in which he came to this land (New Zealand) and when he had seen this land Ao-tea, he went back to Hawa-iki and told Turi about the goodness of the land at Pa-tea, and Toto the father in law of Turi, gave a canoe to Turi which was made out of a tree that grew on the bank of the river Tau-toru (three years) when Toto (drag) had made this canoe, he then made a sail for it and called that sail Mata-o-rua (face bowed down). Turi embarked in the canoe and sailed on the sea and landed at the Island called Whiti-marama (shore or by the light) where he stayed, and he and his people and Po-toru (three nights) and his people had a dispute, Po-toru said that "The canoes ought to sail to the setting sun."

Turi said "No let the canoes go towards the shining sun, the East." Turi came (his way) and Po-toru sailed (his way), and Turi heard of the evil act of Maia (brave) in his canoe, and Turi was disgusted with the act of Maia and Turi threw him into the sea, and Maru the god got on to Maia, and the voice of the god Maru was heard in the sea, and he said "If I am left in the sea we will all die, but if I again embark on the canoe, we all should arrive at Nuku-taurua (distant…….). They sailed on andlanded at Kawa-tau (speak often of our intentions, on expectations) on the East Coast, and went over land to Ao-tea where the canoe was left, and a house built, which was called Rangi-hunga-kau (day of a company of persons) and where they planted the Karaka (corynocarpus laevigata) and Kumara (ipomoea batatas) at Pa-tea, (white fort) and the house built there was called Rangi-tawhi (day of going all round) where Turi stayed, but soon he and Rau-manu (hundred birds) had a dispute page (43)and Rau-manu left the place and went to another (land) far away, to an other Island far away, and Turi lived there (at Pa-tea) and made war on the original people of the land, who were living there and he also made war on all the original people of the land in every place to which he went. Turi died at Te ahu-o-turanga (the altar of Turanga) at Manawa tu (startled heart).

Kupe
(Nga-rauru)

In ancient times when Kupe came to this land (New Zealand) Hawa iki and the main land were one, and he (Kupe) severed them, and he caused the sea to be between these lands, and at the time he arrived in this land (New Zealand), there were people on these lands (Islands of New Zealand) called Te-kahui-toka (the flock of the overflown) and the Kahui-pau (or pou) (the flock of the stable) and the names of their chiefs were Kehu (red hair), Rehu (flute, or ship) and Monoa (repeat incantations to overcome). And these people did not eat of Maori food (Hue (gourd), Kumara (sweet potato), but lived on Roi (fernroot), and thus they lived on fern root before the days they were discovered by Kupe. When this people saw the canoe of Kupe they were in terror at the sight, but no soon as Kupe landed he killed this people, that all should die.

Kupe told of his discovery of Ao-tea-roa (long light coloured cloud) at Hawa-iki, which led the canoes to come from that place to this land (New Zealand).