Page:Hawaiki The Original Home of the Maori.djvu/135

This page has been validated.
SKETCH OF THE HISTORY OF THE RACE
123

very likely that Tukopia and Taumako islands, near the Santa Cruz group, received their Polynesian inhabitants during this period.

It is very probable that these islands are some of those mentioned in the "logs" of the migrations under different names, but which names cannot now be identified, such as Waerota, Waeroti, Mata-te-ra &c., for it is clear they were to the north west of Fiji.

In the time of Tu-tonga-kai-a-iti mentioned above, Mataru was ariki of Upolu, who was succeeded by his youngest son Te Memeru, whose grandson was Te Emaema-a-rangi, whose son was Emā, the father of Taaki and Karii, very famous ancestors of the Maoris, who name them Tawhaki and Karihi, and who flourished about the year 700.

From about the period of Emā (Maori Hema) commences Maori history. From his sons descend lines of ancestors to people now living in New Zealand, whilst other lines come down to people living both in Rarotonga and Hawaii, and probably in Samoa also. But we have now arrived at a very important epoch in Polynesian history, and it will be necessary to go back for a couple of generations and show in what this importance consists, and consider




The Polynesians as Navigators.

If reference be made to the genealogical table at the end of this book, it will be seen that at forty-eight generations ago, or about the year 650, there flourished a man named Ui-te-rangiora, who was a contemporary of Ema's father. It was in Ui-te-rangiora's time that the voyages of discovery emanating from Fiji first began, and many islands were