writers have supposed one or the other of these to be the Hawaiki from whence the Maoris came to New Zealand. But now we know that all the Tahiti Group was called Hawaiki also, the other evidence of their "whence" falls naturally into its place, and indicates this latter Hawaiki as their former home—the immediate home from whence they came to New Zealand. To the Rarotongans, all the Western Groups including Samoa, Tonga and Fiji are known as Hawaiki-raro,[1] or leeward Hawaiki, whilst Tahiti and the adjoining groups are called Hawaiki-runga, or windward Hawaiki. Again, the ancient name for New Zealand—with which they were well acquainted traditionally—was Hawaiki-tautau, as well as the Maori name Aotea-roa. Tautau is the Maori word tahutahu, to burn, or burning, and the name was probably given to New Zealand on account of its active volcanoes. It is over twenty-five years since I came to the conclusion that Eastern Polynesia must be searched for this particular Hawaiki; but, with the exception of Judge J. A. Wilson, no one appears to have followed in the same lines as myself. Mr. Wilson truly indicates in his interesting little book[2] that the Maoris came from Rarotonga, but as we shall see further on, this was only a stopping-place on the voyage.
Amongst other names of ancient places mentioned in the Maori traditions as one of those from Avhich they came hither, is Tawhiti-nui. It is frequently mentioned in the Maori traditions; sometimes it is Tawhiti-nui-a-Rua, the latter word clearly being a man's name. In one of the accounts of Nga-toro-i-rangi's return from New Zealand to
- ↑ The terms raro, below, and runga, above, are always applied by Eastern Polynesians to the direction to which, and from which, the trade wind blows, i.e. raro is the west, runga the east.
- ↑ "Sketches of Ancient Maori Life and History," by J. A. Wilson.
