Ngā Rauropi Whakaoranga

"On the same page quoted above by Mr. Skinner [Murihiku, by R McNab, 1909, p 253] we find Bellinghausen saying, "At present the New Zealanders also grow potatoes which are as good as the English species. They learned to grow this vegetable from Captain Cook, and although after forty-seven years they grow sufficient quantities they only use the potatoes for themselves, but do not part with any."

The Maoris have many accounts of early potatoes, grown by them before the visits of Europeans became frequent-indeed they say they had them before Captain Cook's arrival. But the Cook Straits' Maoris say also that this tuber was brought to the south by Ngati-Toa from Kawhia at the time of Te Rau-paraha's migration thither in 1821-2. It would be interesting to ascertain the names of the old potatoes found in the Sounds, from the old people now living at Blenheim and its neighbourhood-it is not too late-and we commend this to Mr. H. D. Skinner as a subject worthy of his researches."