Polynesian Mythology · Legend of the Emigration of Turi (2/2)

Amongst the chiefs who landed there with them was one named Porua, whose canoe was called Te Rīrino. They were carrying some dogs with them, as these would be very valuable in the islands they were going to, for supplying by their increase a good article of food and skins for warm cloaks. On this island they, however, killed two of them, the names of which were Whakapapa-tuakua and Tangakākāriki. The first of these they cooked and shared amongst them, but the second they cut up raw as an offering to the gods, and laid it cut open in every part before them, and built a sacred place, and set up pillars for the spirits, that they might entirely consume the sacrifice; and they took the enchanted apron of the spirits, and spread it open before them, and wearied the spirits by calling on them for some omen, saying, “Come, manifest yourselves to us, O gods; make haste and declare the future to us. It may be now that we shall not succeed in passing to the other side of the ocean; but if you manifest yourselves to us, and are present with us, we shall pass there in safety.” Then they rose up from prayer, and roasted with fire the dog which they were offering as a sacrifice, and holding the sacrifice aloft, called over the names of the spirits to whom the offering was made; and having thus appeased the wrath of the offended spirits, they again stuck up posts for them, saying as they did so⁠—

“ ’Tis the post which stands above there;

’Tis the post which stands in the heavens,

Near Atutahimarehua.”

Thus they removed all ill luck from the canoes, by repeating over them prayers called Keuenga, Takanga, Whakainuinumanga, etc., etc.

When all these ceremonies were ended, a very angry discussion arose between Potoru and Turi, as to the direction they should now sail in; Turi persisted in wishing to pursue an easterly course, saying, “Nay, nay, let us still sail towards the quarter where the sun first flares up;” but Potoru answered him, “But I say nay, nay, let us proceed towards that quarter of the heavens in which the sun sets.” Turi replied, “Why, did not Kupe, who had visited these islands, particularly tell us, ‘Now mind, let nothing induce you to turn the prow of the canoe away from that quarter of the heavens in which the sun rises?’ ” However, Potoru still persisted in his opinion, and at last Turi gave up the point, and let him have his own way; so they embarked and left the island of Rangitahua, and sailed on a westerly course.

After they had pursued this course for some time, the canoe Rīrino getting into the surf, near some rocks, was lost on a reef which they named Taputapuatea, being swept away by a strong current, a rapid current, by a swift running current, swiftly running on to the realms of death; and the Rīrino was dashed to pieces: hence to the present day is preserved this proverb, “You are as obstinate as Potoru, who persisted in rushing on to his own destruction.”

When the Rīrino had thus been lost, Turi, in the Aotea, pursued his course towards the quarter of the rising sun, and whilst they were yet in mid-ocean, a child, whom he named Tutawa, was born to Turi; they had then but nine sweet potatoes left, and Turi took one of these, leaving now but eight, and he offered the one he took as a sacrifice to the spirits, and touched with it the palate of little Tutawa, born in mid-ocean, at the same time repeating the fitting prayers. When they drew near the shore of these islands, one of the crew named Tuanui-a-te-ra was very disobedient and insolent to Turi, who, getting exceedingly provoked with him, threw him overboard into the sea. When they had got near enough to the shore to see distinctly they foolishly threw the red ornaments they wore on their heads (named Pōhutukawa) into the sea, these being old, dirty, and faded from length of wear, for they thought, although wrongly, the red things they saw in such abundance on the shore were similar ornaments.

At length the Aotea is run up on the beach of these islands, and the wearied voyagers spring out of her on to the sands, and the first thing they remark are the footprints of a man. They run to examine them, and find them to be those of Tuanui-a-te-ra, whom Turi had shortly before thrown overboard. There can be no doubt of this, because some of the footprints are crooked, exactly suiting a deformed foot which he had.

Turi having rested after his voyage, determined to start and seek for the river Pātea, which Kupe had described to him, and he left his canoe Aotea in the harbour, which he named after it. He travelled along the coast line from Aotea to Pātea, having sent one party before him, under Pungarehu, ordering them to plant the stones of the berries of the karaka tree, which they had brought with them, all along their route, in order that so valuable an article of food might be introduced into these islands. Turi, who followed with another party after Pungarehu, gave names to all the places as they came along. When he reached the harbour of Kāwhia he gave it that name, or the awhinga of Turi; then he came to Marokopa, or the place that Turi wound round to another spot; the river Waitara he named from the tāranga, or wide steps which he took in fording at its mouth; Mōkau, or Moekau, he named from his sleeping there; at Mangati they opened and spread out an enchanted garment named Hunokiko, and as all the people gazed at it, Turi named the place Mātakitaki; at another place (near the lake at the Grey institution at Taranaki), Turi took up a handful of earth to smell it, that he might guess whether the soil was good enough, and he named that place Hongihongi; another place, six miles to the south of Taranaki, he named Tapuwae, or the footsteps of Turi; another place he named Ōakura, from the bright redness of the enchanted cloak Hunokiko; another place Katikara, twelve miles south of Taranaki; another river he named Rāoa, from a piece of food he was eating nearly choking him there; another spot he named Kaupokonui (a river thirty-four miles northwest of Pātea), or the head of Turi; when they arrived there the enchanted cloak Hunokiko was twice opened and spread out, so he called the spot Marae kura; a place that they encamped at he named Kapuni (a river at Waimate), or the encampment of Turi; another place he called Waingongoro, or the place at which Turi snored; another spot he named Tanganoe, after his paddle; Ohingahape he named after the crooked foot of Tuanui-a-te-ra; a headland where there was a natural bridge running over a cave he named Whitikau, from the long time he was fording in the water to turn the headland, because he did not like to cross the bridge (this is five miles north of Pātea).

At length he reached the river which Kupe had described to him; there he built a pa, or fortress, which he named Rangitaawhi, and there he erected a post, which he named Whakatopea, and he built a house, which he named Matangireia, and he laid down a doorsill, or threshold, which he named Paepaehakehake; and he built a small elevated storehouse to hold his food, and he named it Paeāhua; the river itself he named Pātea; and he dug a well, which he named Parara-ki-te-uru. The farm he cultivated there he named Hekeheke-i-papa; the wooden spade he made he called Tipuiahuma. Then he had his farm dug up, and the chant they sang to encourage themselves, and to keep time as they dug, was⁠—

“Break up our goddess mother,

Break up the ancient goddess earth.

We speak of you, O earth, but do not you disturb

The plants we have brought hither from Hawaiki the noble.

It was Māui who scraped the earth in heaps round the sides

In Kuratau.”

There they planted the farm. They had but eight seed potatoes, but they divided these into small pieces, which they put separately into the ground; and when the shoots sprang up, Turi made the place sacred with prayers and incantations, lest anyone should venture there and hurt the plants; the name of the incantation he used was Ahuaroa. When harvesttime came, they gathered in the crop of sweet potatoes, and found that they had eight hundred baskets of them.

The deeds above related were those which our ancestor Turi performed. Rongorongo was the name of his principal wife, and they had several children, from whom sprang the tribes of Whanganui and the Ngāti Manui tribe.