olynesian
looked to the banyan and kindred trees for the hidden sparks of fire.
The natives of De Peyster's Island say that their ancestors learned how
to make fire by seeing smoke rise from crossed branches rubbing together
while trees were shaken by fierce winds.

In studying the Maui myths of the Pacific it is necessary to remember
that Polynesians use "t" and "k" without distinguishing them apart, and
also as in the Hawaiian Islands an apostrophe (') is often used in place
of "t" or "k". Therefore the Maui Ki-i-k-i'i of Hawaii becomes the
demi-god Tiki-tiki of the Gilbert Islands--or the Ti'i-ti'i of Samoa or
the Tiki of New Zealand--or other islands of the great ocean. We must
also remember that in the Hawaiian legends Kalana is Maui's father. This
in other groups becomes Talanga or Kalanga or Karanga. Kanaloa, the
great god of most of the different Polynesians, is also sometimes called
the Father of Maui. It is not strange that some of the exploits usually
ascribed to Maui should be in some places transferred to his father
under one name or the other. On one or two groups Mafuia, an ancestress
of Maui, is mentioned as finding the fire. The usual legend makes Maui
the one who takes fire away from Mafuia. The story of fire finding in
Polynesia sifts itself to Maui under one of his widely-accepted names,
or to his father or to his ancestress--with but very few exceptions.
This fact is important as showing in a very marked manner the race
relationship of a vast number of the islanders of the Pacific world.
From the Marshall Islands, in the west, to the Society Islands of the
east; from the Hawaiian Islands in the north to the New Zealand group in
the south, the footsteps of Maui the fire finder can be traced.

The Hawaiian story of fire finding is one of the least marvelous of all
the legends. Hina, Maui's mother, wanted fish. One morning early Maui
saw that the great storm waves of the sea had died down and the fishing
grounds could be easily reached. He awakened his brothers and with them
hastened to the beach. This was at Kaupo on the island of Maui. Out into
the gray shadows of the dawn they paddled. When they were far from shore
they began to fish. But Maui, looking landward, saw a fire on the
mountain side.

"Behold," he cried. "There is a fire burning. Whose can this fire be?"

"Whose, indeed?" his brothers replied.

"Let us hasten to the shore and cook our food," said one.

They decided that they had bet