98: Ngutu-au - Ancient visitors to Aotearoa
Below is an extract from a tale gained by a George Graham well before 1905 (when the account was first published). The information came from Hone Whetu Tangi-taheke, of the Tu-whakairi-ora Hapu of Ngati-Porou.
We find it an interesting story that reveals two things... that people came and went in ancient times (and in this case left no trace but a story), and that Ngati-Porou, like all Polynesian Maori...
1. Did not like anyone prospering or doing anything better than them... a fact if this story is regarded as true.
2. And if not true, it proves that Maori are capable of telling tales of fancy. And if they can tell one., how many other stories can be accepted as true?
We'll go with the first assumption.
*****
NGUTU-AU was the name of a strange people who came to this place, that is to Whare-kahika (Hick's Bay, East Cape) many generations ago. Their canoe was remarkable for its construction, and the people for their peculiarities of speech and mannerisms. The Ngutu-au came here from abroad seeking a place to live, and our people allowed them to settle at Mata-kawa (near Hick's Bay) and gave them some kumara seed to plant, as they had none, for that was the planting season for kumara when they arrived.
Ngutu-au pulled up their canoe at that place, built their houses, and prepared their cultivation of kumara.
Some short time after, a party of Ngutu-au went out with our people fishing for hapuku, and were successful until a great hapuku broke all the hooks and lines. This great hapuku had been in that place for a long time and had given great trouble to our fishing parties. It was of such size and strength that no lines or hooks used were strong enough to ensure its capture. It was always breaking our lines and hooks. We lost so many lines and hooks that this fish was called Kai-aho (line-eater).
When our people returned owing to the loss of lines and hooks, and Ngutu-au returned to their village at Mata-kawa, it was decided to make specially strong lines and hooks to catch Kai-aho. The Ngutu-au were expert in such work, and made a large hook of wood and a line of totoro-hiti (toe-toe fibre) which is superior to harakeke (flax) for this purpose. Unknown to us they went out one night, and with their great hook and line succeeded in catching the fish Kai-aho.
When our people had finished making strong hooks and lines they went out, but none of the Ngutu-au came to accompany them, which was not understood by our people. Arrived at the fishing grounds, the proper karakias were recited, and the lines bated with tamure (schnapper) and let down. They waited a long time, but no bites came, and uselessly shifted from one place to another. No success rewarded their patience. Thus it was for two days. Then our people became suspicious and thought that Ngutu-au must indeed have already caught the fish Kai-aho.
Some of our people went to Mata-kawa to find out, but did so as on a visit of courtesy. It was there mentioned that for two days our people had fruitlessly tried to catch Kai-aho, but Ngutu-au denied that they had already caught that fish. Then it was remarked that the canoe of that people had been lately used, but still Ngutu-au denied that they had caught Kai-aho.
Our people disbelieved them (rightly) and secretly decided to exterminate the Ngutu-au for their mean conduct; the olden people of ours were of a very jealous disposition and were really jealous that Ngutu-au had succeeded in catching Kai-aho after their own long repeated efforts had failed to do so.
(Note: according to the old story, there was to be an extermination of a whole group of peoples simply for catching a fish that they themselves wanted to catch).
Now Ngutu-au suspected that evil was intended, but to conceal their uneasiness quietly proceeded with their cultivation's and other daily work. They had really decided to leave and return to their distant home over seas, and one night they indeed left.
Next morning, not seeing their fires or any of the people, our people went to look for them, and then realised that Ngutu-au had departed in their canoe. In a cave on the coast we discovered three of their people named Mouterangi, Wharekohe, and a woman named Hine-te-ao, who was a sister of Wharekohe. They stated that their people had left with the intention of returning to their own home.
These three people lived with us as slaves until they died, and left no descendants. We never heard anything as to the fate of Ngutu-au. We preserve an old song concerning Ngutu-au and the three persons left among us by them, of which the following is a part:—
Te heke o te Ngutu-au e haere ai ki tetahi whenua Ko tona tuahine ko Hine-te-ao Ko tona tonara1 ko Te Wharekohe E hara tenei, he kura-wai-hape, he mahanga rimu tapu Kia po-reia ko poihiri ko porarawa
Two others proverbs exist that have since been used in reference of people who recklessly interfere with the property of others, or who trespass on fishing or hunting grounds.
*****
These people, the Ngutu-au, are possibly some Moriori but most likely were from Tasmania or as far away as the Solomon Islands (the description of the thicker lips being the key). Others say they are Rarotongan, but if so why was their craft, appearance and mannerisms so unusual if the so called fleet canoes departed lastly from Rarotonga? The answer to that question is they didn't come from a place Maori had only been 150 years before. They came from somewhere else - Melanesia most likely.
While we have stressed the brutal intention of Ngati-Porou, one must remember in 2022 that the story was of a different time, with different customs and different values. But it is raised to point out what we believe happened to the original tangata whenua of this land after the Polynesian immigration's were completed and the numbers grew until they were powerful and dominant - ie extermination based on any small offence was highly likely. Captain Cook and others lost men based on what to them was small offense but to the Maori was great offense. It didn't take much to spark things off if you didn't understand their ways and customs. Offense being something perceived differently by different races, tribes and peoples.
Offence still exists today with intent for correction but without the simple and effective elimination that could be achieved in the former years.
When evidence finally surfaces one day that proves - by physical proof, DNA and dating, that a different race was here long before Polynesian and Melanesian arrived to become a collection of tribes they themselves called 'Maori' - the question of 'offense' may have to be examined in a different light altogether.
