The Continuing Legend Of Turi

We left our hero Turi, having killed the child of Uenuku in revenge for Uenuku killing his relations child, waiting for Uenuku revenge.

During this time, Kupe has taken one of the sister canoes, Matahorua, to find and explore New Zealand, and return with his findings, four years later.

Turi was on the point of taking the sister canoe, Aotea and fleeing to escape Uenuku’s revenge.

Turi decided to escape to these newly found isles, and he had the Aotea dragged down to the shore in the night.

Kupe, who happened to be near the place where the canoe was being dragged, heard the noise and arose to see what was going on.

When he found what Turi was about to do, he said to him,

“Now. Mind, Turi, keep ever steering to the Eastward, where the sun rises, keep the bow of your canoe ever steadily directed towards that point in the sky”.

Turi answered him, “You had better accompany me, Kupe”, “Come, let us go together”.

When Kupe heard this, he said to Turi,

“Do you think Kupe will ever return there again?”

[this is still used as a way of saying No, today]

Then he continued, “When you arrive at the islands, you had better go at once and examine the river that I discovered, [said to be the Patea River],

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its mouth opens directly Westward, you will find but two inhabitants there” [meaning the Kokako

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and the Tiwaiwakea].

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“One of them holds it's tail erect and sticking out, now do not mistake the voice of one them for a man, for it calls out just like one, and if you stand on one side of the river and call out to them, you will hear cries answering you from the other”.

“That will be the very spot I mentioned to you”.

Turi’s brother in law, Tuau, now called out to him, “Why, Turi, the paddles you are taking with you are good for nothing, for they are made from the Huhoe tree”.

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Turi replied, “Wherever can I get other paddles now?”

Tuau answered, “Just wait for a little until I run for the paddles of Taiparaeroa”.

He ran and brought back, and put on board the canoe, the two paddles, the names of which were Rangihorona and Kautu-ki-te-rangi, and two bailers, the names of which were Tipuahoronuku, and Rangi-ka-wheriko.

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Then Turi said, “Tuau, come out a little way to sea with me, and then return again when you have seen me started upon my long voyage”.

To this Tuau cheerfully consented, and got into the canoe, which was already afloat. Then were carried on board all the articles which the voyagers were to take.

There were seeds, sweet potatoes, of the species called Te Kakau, and dried stones of the berries of the Karaka tree, and some five edible rats in boxes, and some tame green parrots, and added some pet Pukeko or large water hens. And many other valuable things were put on board the canoe.

Whence the proverb “Aotea of the valuable cargo”.

At last, away floated the canoe, whilst it was yet night, and Tuau sat at the stem, gently paddling as they dropped out from the harbour,

When they got to its mouth, Turi called out to his brother in law, “Tuau, you come and sit for a little while in the house amidships, on the floor of the double canoe”.

“Let me take the paddle and pull till I warm myself”.

So Tuau came amidships and sat down with the people there, whilst Turi went astern and took his paddle.

Then Turi and his people pulled as hard as they could, and were soon far outside of the harbour mouth, in the wide sea,

Tuau, who had intended to land at the harbour heads, at last, turned to see what distance they had to go.

Alas, Alas, they were far out to sea, then he called out to Turi, “Oh, Turi, Turi, pray turn back the canoe and land me”.

But not the least attention did Turi pay to him, he persisted in carrying off his brother in law with him.

There was Tuau weeping and grieving when he thought of his children and wife, and lamenting as he exclaimed, “How shall I ever get back to my dear wife and children from the place where you are going to”.

But what does Turi care for that, he still thinks fit to carry him off with him, and Tuau cannot now help himself.

They are now so far out to sea that he could not gain the shore, for he could hardly have seen where the land was whilst swimming in the water, as it was during the night that they had started.

Lo, the dawn breaks, but hardly had the daylight of the first morning of their voyage appeared, than one of the party, named Tapo, became insolent and disobedient to Turi.

His chief was therefore very wroth with him, and hove him overboard into the sea, and Tapo found himself in the water and saw his canoe shooting ahead.

He called out to Turi quite cheerfully and jocosely, “I say, old fellow, come now, let me live in the world a little longer”.

When they heard him call out in this manner, they knew he must be under the protection of the god Maru, and said, “Here is Maru, here is Maru”.

So they hauled him into the canoe again, and saved his life.

At last, the seams of Turi’s canoe opened in holes in many places, and the water streamed into it, they rapidly dipped the bailers into the water and dashed it out over the sides.

Turi, in the meanwhile, reciting aloud an incantation, which was efficacious in preventing the canoe from being swamped.

They succeeded at length, by these means, in reaching a small island which lies in mid-ocean, which they named Rangitahua.

They landed and ripped all the old lashings out of the seams of the canoe, and re-lashed the top sides on to it, and thoroughly refitted it.

Among the chiefs who landed there with them was one named Potoru, whose canoe was called Te Ririno.

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 killed two of the dogs, the first of which the cooked and shared among them, but the second they cut up raw, as an offering for the gods, and laid it, cut open, in every part, before them, and build a sacred place, and set up pillars for the spirits, that they might entirely consume the sacrifice.

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.

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 stand 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, Whakamumumanga etc, etc.

When all these ceremonies were ended, a very angry discussion arose between Potoru and Turi, as to which direction they should now sail in.

Turi persisted in wishing to pursue an Easterly course, saying, “Nay, nay, let us sail towards the quarter where the sun first flares up”.

Potoru answered him, “But I say nay, nay, let us proceed towards that quarter where 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 your canoe away from that quarter 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 Ririno, getting into the surf, near some rocks, was lost on a reef which they called Taputapuatea.

The canoe was swept away by a strong current, a rapid current, a swift running current, swiftly running on to the realms of death.

Ririno was dashed to pieces, hence to the present day is preserved this proverb,

“You are as obstinate as Potoru, who perished in rushing on to his own destruction”.

When the Ririno had thus been lost, Turi, in the Aotea, perused his course towards the quarter of the rising sun, and while they were yet in mid-ocean, a child, whom he named Tutawa, was born to Turi.

They had but nine sweet potatoes left, and Turi took one of these, leaving now but eight, and he offered the one that he took as a sacrifice to the spirits and touched the palate of little Tutaea, 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 plumes they wore on their heads into the sea. These were old, dirty, and faded, from the length of wear, for they thought, although wrongly, the red things they saw in such abundance on the shore were similar ornaments.

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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.

The first thing they see are the footprints of a man, they ran to examine them, and find that they are 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.

The first of the below posts has a list of the previous posts of Maori Myths and Legends

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/how-war-was-declared-between-tainui-and-arawa

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/the-curse-of-manaia-part-1

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/the-curse-of-manaia-part-2

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/the-legend-of-hatupatu-and-his-brothers

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/hatupatu-and-his-brothers-part-2

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/the-legend-of-the-emigration-of-turi-an-ancestor-of-wanganui

with thanks to son-of-satire for the banner