Turi Seeks Patea

We left Turi and the canoe Aotea beached on the shore in New Zealand, after their trip from Hawaiki.

Turi, having rested after his voyage, determined to start and seek for the river Patea, which Kupe had described to him.

He left Aotea in the harbour, which he named after it, and travelled along the coastline, from Aotea to Patea, having sent one party before him, under the leadership of Pungarehu.

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He ordered them to plant the stones of the Karaka tree,

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which they had brought with them, all along their route, in order that such a valuable 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 Kawhia, 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.

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The river Waitara, he named Taranga, or, wide steps that he took in fording it near its mouth.

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Mokau or Moekau, he named from his sleeping there.

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At Manga-ti, they opened and spread out an enchanted garment named Hunakiko, and as all the people gazed at it, Turi named the place Mataki-taki.

At another place [near the Lake at the Gray 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 south of Taranaki, he named Tapuwar, or, the footsteps of Turi.

Another place he named Oakura, from the bright redness of the enchanted cloak, Hunakiko.

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Another place, Katikara, twelve miles south of Taranaki. [this became a battle site during the Maori Wars, in 1863.

Another river he named was Raoa, from a piece of food he was eating nearly choking him there.

Another place he named Kaupoko-nui, [a river 34 miles north-west of Patea[

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or the head of Turi, when they had arrived there, the enchanted cloak, Hunakiko, 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.

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Another place he called Waingongoro, or, the place where Turi snored.

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Another spot he called Tangahoe, after his paddle.

Ohingahape, he named after the crooked foot of Taunui-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 5 miles north of Patea]

At length, he reached the river which Kupe had described to him, where he built a Pa, or fortified village, which he named Rangitaawhi.

There he erected a post, which he named Whakatopea, he built a house which he named Manangirie,

He then had his farm dug up. And the chant that 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. Oh, earth, but do not disturb

The plants we have brought hither from Hawaiki the noble,

It was Maui who scraped the earth in heaps around the sides, in Kuratau”.

There they planted a farm, they had but eight seed potatoes, but they divided these into small pieces, which they put separately into the ground.

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 was Ahuroa,

Then came harvest time, they gathered in the crop of sweet potatoes, and they found that they had 800 baskets of them.

The deeds above related were those which our ancestor Turi performed, Rongo-rongo was the name of his principal wife, and they had several children, from whom sprang the tribes of Wanganui, and the Ngati-Ruanui tribe.

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

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/the-continuing-legend-of-turi

with thanks to son-of-satire for the banner