Oropaa live in the district of that name, just north of Papara, west side of Tahiti. A place is also mentioned in the same account—Te Whana-i-Ahurei; Te Fana-i-Ahurai is the adjacent district to Oropaa, whilst Paea, another name mentioned, is a place near Oropaa district. In addition we have this very important fact, that on the arrival in this country of Te Arawa canoe the crew called their tuahu or altar, which they set up at Maketu, Bay of Plenty, Ahu-rei, in remembrance of their ancient home in Tahiti.
I was told by Mr. Tati Salmon, of Tahiti, that expeditions were known to have left the west coast of Tahiti in former days, to find homes for themselves elsewhere, but the particulars have not been preserved. The name of only one canoe as having arrived there from distant parts was remembered; this was Manu'a-tere, which was that of Te Atonga previously mentioned,
The only two places where the native name of New Zealand (Aotea-roa) is known, so far as I can learn, are Tahiti—where it is mentioned in an old chant—and at Rarotonga, as will be shown. Taken altogether, the evidence which has now been adduced (besides other that might be quoted) seems conclusive that Tawhiti of the Maori is Tahiti, and that their Hawaiki is Hawaiki-runga, which includes all the groups around Tahiti.
We next come to another island of the Society Group, the name of which has been retained in Maori traditions, but only I think in those of the Maoris of the West Coast of the North Island. This is Ra'i-atea (in Maori Rangiatea), one of the poetical names of which is Havai'i-mata-pee-e-moe-te-Hiva. It is also called 'Ioretea'-Uri-e-tea and Havai'i. About four miles to the north is another lovely island, with indented coast line, down to which the mountains fall in abrupt and wooded
