Page:Hawaiki The Original Home of the Maori.djvu/143

Rh navigators as high a place in the honour-roll as many of our own distinguished Arctic or Antarctic explorers.

Many people have doubted the ability of the Polynesians to make the lengthy voyages implied in finding the race in places so widely separated as Hawaii, Easter Island, New Zealand, and the N.W. Pacific south of the line. But we cannot doubt the very definite statements made in their traditions. The love of adventure, of moving about from place to place, which is so characteristic of the race even in these days has always been a feature in their lives. More often than not they made these adventurous voyages with the definite object of establishing new colonies in which to settle, taking with them their Lares and Penates, their domestic animals, seeds, plants, and families. It has already been pointed out the effect the vast number of islands in Indonesia must have had on the people, in increasing their powers of navigation. In passing onward by way of New Guinea, the Solomans, and New Hebrides to the Fiji group, the idea must have forced itself into the minds of the people, that the whole Eastern world was covered with islands, and that they had only to move onward into the unknown to find more lands on which to settle. Actuated by this ruling idea, they undertook long voyages in the assured belief of finding land. Many of their expeditions, no doubt, failed in the end they sought, and disappeared forever. We don't hear of them; it is the successful voyages of which a record has been preserved.

Much of the doubt that has been expressed as to the ability of the Polynesians to make lengthy voyages, is due to the fact that the canoes they now use are supposed to be the same in which these long voyages were undertaken. But this is not the case. It is quite clear that much larger and better sea-going vessels were formerly employed. The pahi, pora, taurūa, purua, &c., were large canoes, generally