Old Westland/Chapter 1

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Old Westland’s history begins, according to Maori mythology, in the dawn days of the world when the Chief Ngahue landed there and discovered deposits of pounamu (greenstone) in the waters of its rivers. Ngahue, a great and daring navigator, like unto our own Captain Cook, was (so the legend runs) driven from the cradle lands of his people—from Hawaiki—by a woman (Hinetu-a-hoanga) who invoked the aid of a great green sea-monster—Poutini—to capture him. He, however, boldly put out to sea in his fast sailing canoe, and though hotly pursued, held ever onward until on the far horizon he saw a long white cloud which proved to be land—thus did he “find in the sea,” these islands of Aotea-roa. As he drew still nearer he saw a stupendous mountain beckoning to him, and this he made out to be Aorangi, the mighty monarch of the Southern Alps. Aorangi commanded ​him to proceed north, and “with the shining orb of the sun to guide him by day, and the silvery moon to pilot him by night,” he at length arrived off the mouth of the Arahura River on the West Coast of the South Island, some four miles north of where Hokitika now stands. At this moment the sun hid its face, and lo, all was dark, save that from the icefields of Tara-o-Tama, at the source of the Arahura River, there gleamed a bright radiance, and by this omen Ngahue knew that he was to land and proceed thereto.

Poutini, still in hot pursuit, followed him up the river, until a deep pool at the foot of a fearful rapid was reached. Here it injured itself and sank to the bottom, being, by the peculiar qualities of the water, transformed into a greenstone canoe, and there it may be seen to this very day, if you find the right place and dive to the bottom of the pool. As this is very dark and very deep, the canoe can only be seen when the sun shines brightly at high noon, through a cleft in the cliffs. . . . .

His enemy having been disposed of, Ngahue, greatly attracted by the beauty and hardness of the greenstone lying about the pool, selected a block which his warriors conveyed back to his canoe at the mouth of the river. On his arrival there the sky to the south and west became as dark as night—while to the north all was bright and shining. By this he knew it was safe to return to his home land, so he ​sailed north, and after visiting Tauranga, went direct to Hawaiki, taking with him the block of greenstone.

On his arrival he found his people were at war, but after he had reported that he had found in the sea a land where there were moa and pounamu in great abundance, many of them, tired of strife, decided to migrate thereto. So from the block of greenstone, which was known as “the fish of Ngahue,” two sharp axes were made. These were called Tutauru and Hau-hau-te-rangi, and with them seven huge totara trees were felled and hewn into canoes, which were named Arawa, Tainui, Matatua, Takitumu, Kura-hau-po, Toko-maru, and Matuwhaorua, and they comprised the first fleet of canoes which reached these shores, the cause of whose arrival, and of the arrival of the canoes which came afterwards, being the fact that Ngahue discovered greenstone in Old Westland.

It is worthy of note that Maori mythology, as propounded by the various tribes, does not agree in all respects, but reference to Sir George Grey’s interesting work, entitled “Polynesian Mythology, and Ancient Traditional History of the New Zealanders,” will show that the principal points in the foregoing legend, and the traditional account of the discovery of Aotea-roa agree. Further, that the statement that the Maori migration to New Zealand was ​due to the discovery of greenstone by Ngahue in Westland is common to both.

H. D. Skinner, Otago University Museum, in a paper entitled “New Zealand Greenstone,” read before the Otago Institute, October, 1932, and later reprinted from “The Transactions of the Royal Society of New Zealand,” Vol. 65, 1935, under the heading of Maori Myths Relating to the Origin of Greenstone, makes the following interesting observations: “The myth relating to Ngahue and his connection with greenstone has been collected from various Maori tribes, and each account has variations of its own. The following appear to be the most important points: Hine-tu-a-hoanga (Lady of the Grindstone, personification of the grindstone) was antagonistic to Poutini (personification of greenstone); Poutini belonged to Ngahue, and lived in Hawaiki; Ngahue fled overseas with his “fish,” as the Maoris described greenstone. One version states that he rode his fish. They reached Tuhua Island in the Bay of Plenty, an island which yields the best quantities of obsidian and has given its name to that material. Thence they were driven by the Lady of the Grindstone. Quarrels between Poutini, on the one hand, and Waiapu (a stone used in making adzes), and Mataa (flint) are recorded, and finally Ngahue fled to the West Coast of the South Island and hid Poutini in the bed of the Arahura. Ngahue tore off the side of his fish ​and took it back to Hawaiki, where it was made into pendants and adzes. The latter were used in hewing out the Arawa canoe. By a number of writers Ngahue has been regarded as an historical character, and New Zealand school children are taught to regard him as one of the discoverers of New Zealand.”

The same writer further observes: “Another myth of the greenstone centres round Tama-ahua, whose wives were abducted by Poutini (greenstone). In his pursuit of them Tama was guided by a magic dart which led him to the Arahura River. Here he found his wives Hina-ahuka (syn. kahurangi), Hina-aotea, and Hina-kawakawa. These are all names of varieties of greenstone. S. Percy Smith, in ‘History and Traditions of the Taranaki Coast,’ was puzzled as to the interpretation of Tamaahua’s adventures in Westland, but he concludes a discussion of the point, page 23, as follows: ‘Whatever we may think of the peculiar story of Tama-ahua, and his search for the precious stone, the journey of Tumuaki, on the same errand, is historic, as will be seen.’ Tumuaki went from Taranaki to the Greenstone Country and found a boulder of pounamu. In breaking it up he struck his finger with the hammer. He thoughtlessly put his finger in his mouth, for which impious act he was turned into stone. His wife, Hine-tu-a-hoanga (Lady of the Grindstone, a name which we have already seen in a quite different ​setting), went in search of him, but was drowned. Mr. Smith dated these events about 1550.”

There are innumerable legends centred round the discovery of greenstone, the first cited here being the one most favoured by the Old West Coast natives. This event is of course of paramount importance in Maori history, and sufficient has been written to clearly show that Westland was ever the scene of activity, and that the stage was always set at the Arahura River.

From the foregoing it would appear that the Maoris were the first inhabitants. This is not so, for centuries before the coming of the Maori, let alone of the Pakeha, there was a human occupation of Westland of much greater antiquity. What manner of men were these, who, in a desperate endeavour to keep body and soul together on the meagre natural production of that wild land, hunted not for sport, but for food, the mighty moa, that gigantic wingless bird unique to New Zealand, and who, when successful, feasted to their hearts’ content on the flesh thereof? Their struggle to subsist was heroic. True, native feathered game there was in great abundance, while the rivers teemed with fish of every description, and in season inanga (whitebait) ascended the streams in never-ending shoals. On certain beaches, too, there were seals in untold numbers, and a plenitude of shell-fish.

​Two edible ferns were also found in certain localities, the mamakau and katote, the former growing only in soil of good quality, and not in the black birch forests. The natives considered the root of this, when cooked in a Maori oven, to be very good eating; it would sustain life well, particularly if an eel were added. The katote, on the other hand, which is found in the black birch country, is very bitter and seldom eaten except in the last extremity. There was little else in the way of food to be obtained, with the exception of a few berries in the autumn, and the heart of the nikau palm which is very tender and very satisfying, but only to be found close to the coast line.

But even these scanty necessities of life were not always available, many being seasonable, providing a feast or a famine. Then terrific storms would sweep the land, and the hunting and snaring of birds would be an impossibility, while heavy seas pounding the shores, and flooded rivers, would prevent the killing of seals and fishing. Fern root alone, even if procurable, would hardly keep body and soul together, and when these conditions prevailed—and they frequently must have—starvation stark and terrible faced these pre-historic people, who strove so heroically to subsist.

Yet, that there was such an occupation is certain. In this respect, A. J. Harrop, M.A., in “The Romance of Westland,” states: “Though ​the Maori occupation of Westland has been treated so far as though it were the first, there can be no doubt that the human occupation of New Zealand is of much greater antiquity than this. Discoveries have been made of stone implements far below the present level of the soil. The most careful and scientific description of such a discovery is given by Sir Julius von Haast. A partly finished chert adze and its sandstone sharpener were found by a party of gold miners at Bruce Bay, South Westland, a few days before he arrived on the spot in 1868. The implements were lying on a floor of pebble-studded clay, and more than fourteen feet of strata of humus, sand and shingle had to be cut through before they were reached. Totara trees four feet in diameter had to be felled before the surface could be broken; there were also huge trunks that had been prostrate for generations, and moss grown moulds of others that had decayed centuries before. The place was five hundred feet above high water mark, with the usual three belts of driftwood sand without vegetation, rush-and-manuka-covered sand, and low scrub. It had clearly passed through these three stages, and its foot of humus must have taken many generations if not centuries of herbage to form before the forest giants could root themselves in it. The various accumulations and the ancient growth of the forest belt take us back undoubtedly several thousand years, and even then we have ​ ​ ​a neolithic race that polished its weapons and had spread so far west and south to the long uninhabited sounds.”

It is of great interest to note that apart from the discovery of this chert adze and its sandstone sharpener, it has now been established that greenstone was known to the moa-hunters, the first inhabitants, and also to the Morioris, who it would seem were the predecessors of the Maoris. Of the former very little is known—they have not survived as a separate race; being inferior in fighting qualities to the latter they were probably killed or absorbed by the various tribes.

Coming now to the Maori occupation of Westland, it has been noted that they were not numerous in the South Island, which they knew as Te Wai Pounamu (the waters, or place, of greenstone), and Westland was no exception to the rule. Greenstone (pounamu), a variety of jade, known as nephrite, was greatly prized, and as it is only found in Westland, many raiding parties set out in search of it, and much blood was shed in the tribal wars which were fought for its possession. Carrying, after long and tedious treatment, a good cutting edge, chisels for carving, adzes for canoe work, as well as ornaments and implements of war, were made from it.

The Maori lived in the stone age, and had no knowledge of iron or metals of any sort; ​therefore greenstone was the best known substitute, for, apart from its beauty, it was very hard and durable. The pa at the mouth of the Arahura River, “in the heart of the greenstone country” (where Ngahue landed in the dawn days of the world), was the principal storehouse of this coveted commodity, and in consequence was attacked many times by raiders. When these raids occurred or even when the Maoris first came to Westland are moot points. Authorities differ, but from what can be learned of a people who knew not writing in any shape or form, it would seem that about the year 1300 the Ngatiwairangi tribe crossed over from the North to the South Island, settling down at West Wanganui, some miles north of Karamea. Here they resided in peace for about two hundred and fifty years, spreading as far south as Milford Sound. During this time they were practically a lost tribe, though there must have been some connection with the North Island, as greenstone gradually made its appearance there. In their isolation they became wonderfully efficient at grinding this hard and beautiful stone, and were a happy and a contented people. But, alas, history then repeated itself, for even as a woman had been the cause of driving Ngahue from the cradle lands of his people, which led to his discovery of greenstone, so was a woman, again through the same agency, the cause of the downfall of the Ngatiwairangi tribe. It so ​happened that the powerful northern tribe Ngai-Tahu, had completed the invasion of the East Coast of the South Island as far south as the Waitaki River, and were in occupation of the conquered territory. One day when some of the tribe were building a canoe, a strange woman named Raureka appeared among them who ridiculed the tools they were using, showing them some greenstone ones which were much superior. The Ngai-Tahu men were greatly impressed with these and persuaded her to lead them to her country, that they too might become possessed of such splendid implements. This she did and much trading took place between the two tribes. Greenstone was exchanged for foodstuffs, for mutton birds, kumara, and fish of every description, and for some considerable time all went well. The Ngai-Tahu made many trips across the island, travelling by way of all the alpine passes, which were well known to the Maori hundreds of years before the advent of the Pakeha. At length war broke out between the two tribes and the Ngatiwairangi were heavily defeated, the Ngai-Tahu, after looting the Arahura Pa, returning to the East Coast. A few years later the Ngai-Tahu again raided Westland, but this time the resident tribe were prepared and ambushed them, killing many and driving the rest off. To avenge this the Ngai-Tahu got together a large force which set out to conquer the Westland ​natives, whom they annihilated, embodying their women and children into their own people. Thus the natives who lived in Westland for over two hundred years ceased to exist as a separate tribe and were replaced by the Ngai-Tahu, the descendants of whom still reside at the Arahura.

The next event of outstanding interest occurred when the Ngati-tama, Ati-Awa and Ngati-rarua tribes, under the leadership of Niho, made their historic raid on the greenstone country (1828). Te Rauparaha in this year had invaded the East Coast and a section of his tribe set out for Westland by the coastal route. They believed there was a great store of greenstone at the Arahura and though they duly reached their objective they failed to obtain the pounamu. During this raid, Tuhuru (father of Werita Tainui) was captured. He, however, was ransomed for a very famous mere—kai-kanohi. From the Arahura most of the raiders returned to the Mawhera Pa, Greymouth. Eight years later, Te Puoho led another war party from Golden Bay and proceeded still further south, destroying as they went. They, however, met their Waterloo at the Mataura River, where the Maoris of those parts, armed by the early sealers with the dreaded musket—as also were the raiders—killed two of them and made prisoner all the rest with the exception of one man, who made his way back to Golden Bay.