Page:Hawaiki The Original Home of the Maori.djvu/179

Rh and Rarotongans descending more directly from him—as they do—and also to his feats having been gradually and increasingly clothed with the marvellous and wonderful in ages long after the hero himself flourished. As Onokura flourished circa 1100, and as the Maoris left those parts in 1350, they ought to have some record of him. Again, as he lived in the middle of the second era of navigation, and during the period, or just before, communication was re-established with Hawaii, he ought to be known to the latter people, but he is not.

Divested of the marvellous—which is to be found very fully in the original—the history of Onokura in brief, according to Rarotongan tradition, is this: the chiefs of Tahiti had for some few generations back been desirous of proceeding to Iva for the purpose of conquering that group. Iva, from what follows, is clearly the Marquesas, and not the country of the Hiva clan of Raiatea. Onokura appears to have been born at Tautira, Tahiti, which is corroborated by the many place names in the story that are situated near there. On a visit made to this place in 1897, Ori-a-ori the chief of Tautira pointed out to me the places connected with him, and he claimed, moreover, that both Onokura and Tangiia-ariki were his ancestors. The history mentions that at this period the inhabitants of Tahiti had increased to great numbers, and yet amongst them were no brave warriors to be found who would attempt to overcome the monsters of the deep, and other difficulties that lay between them and Iva. At last Onokura was fetched from his mountain home of Ti-kura-marumaru, where he lived on wild fruits (amongst them the Mamaku and wheki, well known Maori names for species of the tree-fern, the heart of the first named being still eaten by them), the kokopu (trout), and koura (cray-fish). Under his direction a