Maori legend published

An old Maori legend preserved by the late Mr Percy Smith in his “Wars of the Northern against the Southern Tribes”, published 18 years ago is set out in the Taranaki News. “It is strange,” says Mr Smith, “but prior to the advent of the white man the Maoris appear to have had an idea that they were to receive the visit of some strange race.” The following is the prediction as told by Pangari of Hokianga somewhere about the year 1820. At that time Pangari was an old man, and he had heard the story when a child, as related by the old men of the Ngapuhi: ‘In the days of old when Maoi was alive he told this story: Maoi was a tohunga, a priest, and when he approached his end, he said to Ngapuhi. “It will not be very long before I die, nor very long after I am dead, that a god will come to the crest of the wave and ghosts (kerhua) huia will be on his back. That god will be like the canoes in appearance, but he will be much longer, and he will sail all over the ocean, over everywhere. He will never be mistaken in his course over the ocean. He will sail away and will not be seen by the people. After a long disappearance another god will appear, who will be like the former one. The first god will come by the age of sails, but the latter by the aid of fire.” It was not until 20 years after Pangari spoke of this prophecy that the first vessel arrived in New Zealand.”

ODT, 4.5.1922