Page:Hawaiki The Original Home of the Maori.djvu/219

Rh unfortunate Bligh in the "Bounty" had been sent to Tahiti to convey the breadfruit tree to the West Indies, and no doubt it was the "Bounty" that first discovered Rarotonga. The name of the captain, Makore, which no doubt is intended for McCoy, one of the ringleaders in the mutiny, points to the fact that the vessel sighted Rarotonga after the mutiny itself, or in May, 1788.

To return to the New Zealand canoes. Mr. Large states that "the migration of Naea came from Avaiki to Iva (supposed to be Nukahiva, in the Marquesas) and from Iva to Tahiti, and thence to Rarotonga. This was before the time of Tangiia and Karika." This latter statement is however, I think, a mistake, for the migration of Naea arrived in Rarotonga late in the life of Tangiia—it confuses the two men of the name of Naea, the first of whom did visit—perhaps live for a time, in Iva. Mr. Large adds: "The following are the names of the canoes of Naea and his tere:—Tainui, Turoa was captain; Tokomaru, Te Arava, Kura-aupo, Mata-tua, Takitumu, Okotura, Muri-enua, Arorangi, Rangiatea, Ngaio, Tumu-enua, and Mata-o-te-toa; Tamarua being captain of Tumu-enua, and Te Aia captain of Mata-o-te-toa.

"The two last named were called the fighting canoes, and the first eight went on to New Zealand, the remainder staying at Rarotonga."

Naturally I made it my business to enquire into this story whilst at Rarotonga, and soon found that Te Aia and others knew of the New Zealand canoes, but I was directed to Tamarua-Orometua as an old man who could give me particulars. With Pa-ariki and Mr. H. Nicholas, I went to visit the old man, who was living at a little village about a mile south of Nga-tangiia, the principal home of the Ngati-tangiia tribe, on the east side of the island. We found Tamarua reclining on a mat in his neat little house, which,