Page:Hawaiki The Original Home of the Maori.djvu/126

114 Island, or Le Veneva (which I suspect is Le Venua), also called Ontong Java, was peopled at this time is uncertain. It is inhabited by Polynesians, as Mr Churchill tells me. Possibly Nuku-oro and Luku-noa also were colonized at this time. In more than one Rarotongan tradition an island or country is mentioned, named Enua-kura, or the "land of red feathers," which is possibly New Guinea, so called by the Rarotongans after the Bird of Paradise, the beautiful feathers of which would be to them treasures of the highest value—such treasures as Europeans who do not know the race can hardly believe in; they were their jewels. Again, in one of their traditions is mentioned Papua, a name that is also to be found on Rarotonga itself. Whether this Papua is New Guinea cannot be determined until we know positively whether this is an old name of New Guinea, or any part of it, or not. It has been doubted, and the name said to be of Malay origin. Papua is certainly one of the places, according to their traditions, where the Rarotongans called or stayed at on their migration. It is mentioned by Rarotongan tradition, and shown on Tupaea's chart of 1773, long before any Polynesians could have been acquainted with the present name of New Guinea.

In the time of Tu-tarangi A.D. 450, one tradition states that the people had arrived in Iti, or Fiji, but I think this may be interpreted to mean the eastern part of Fiji, not that they first then arrived in the group. The story says, "Tu-tarangi was the chief who made war in that country. He conquered Iti-nui, Iti-rai, Iti-takai-kere, Iti-a-naunau, Tonga, Nuku, Anga-ura, Kuru-pongi, Ara-matietie, Matate-ra, Uea, Vai-rota, Katua-pai (? Atu-apai), Vavau, Enua-kura, Eremanga, and all other islands in that neighbourhood. He also conquered part of Manuka, but on proceeding to the other side he lost his chief warrior Kurueke." The