The loading of the Royal Double Canoe took 6 days: ... For six days (po ono), mats (moenga) were taken on board the canoe (i.e., the loading of the canoe took six days). Hotu's canoe [te miro. o Hotu] sailed [he oho] from Maori to Te Pito O Te Kainga. It sailed on the second day of September (hora nui) ... [E:74]
The canoe sailed away 60 days after "July 4 (185), because - we can see - at the epoch of rongorongo Alkes rose heliacally in September 2 (245) = 185 (July 4) + 60. The star which at the time of Bharani corresponded to Alkes (*165) would therefore have been the star which at the time of rongorongo had been pushed ahead in the Sun calendar with *41 days to right ascension day *206, viz. κ Octantis:
And the loading of the canoe would then have begun 60 - 6 = 54 days after "July 4 (185), viz. in day 239 ("August 27). Day 54 after day 185 suggests a similarity with day 54 after day 364, i.e. a repetition of the structure north of the equator, where day 53 in Roman times (evidently counted from day 365 because 29 + 23 = 52) had been named Terminalia, and after that there had been 6 days before the Kalends of March:
Except in a leap year, when 'February 24 was doubled: ... The leap day was introduced as part of the Julian reform. The day following the Terminalia (February 23) was doubled, forming the 'bis sextum - literally 'double sixth', since February 24 was 'the sixth day before the Kalends of March' using Roman inclusive counting (March 1 was the 'first day') ... Thus I suggest we should regard "September 2 in Manuscript E as corresponding to the first day of the Kalends of March.
... You are the one who shall stay here. We, on the other hand, have to turn around. Makoi replied, All right with me! Then Ira continued to speak to Makoi: Tomorrow, when it grows light, set out and name the places beginning with Apina. Makoi replied, How shall I give the names? Again Ira spoke, In Hiva are the names that are to be taken to name (the places of the new land). It grew light and Makoi got up. He set out and came to Apina. When he arrived there, he gave the name This is Apina Iti, this is Rapa Kura. He went on and came to Hanga O Ua. He gave the name This is Hanga O Ua of the Beautiful Wave (vave renga). Makoi went on, giving names, until he had made a (complete) circle around both sides (of the island). In Apina Nui a stone (maea) was erected, saying that the naming was done on a (round) trip during a single day ... [E:37] Here Hiva seems to correspond to the land north of the equator. It will then become reasonable to compare the 27 nights in Oromanga with those 27 extra nights sometimes inserted in Roman times: ... a 27-day intercalary month, the Mensis Intercalaris, was sometimes inserted between February and March. This intercalary month was formed by inserting 22 days after the first 23 or 24 days of February; the last five days of February, which counted down toward the start of March, became the last five days of Intercalaris. The net effect was to add 22 or 23 days to the year, forming an intercalary year of 377 or 378 days ...
There were 6 heaps of stones erected outside the cave of Kuukuu to serve as his companions:
... They all sat down and rested [on the plain of Oromanga], when suddenly they saw that a turtle had reached the shore and had crawled up on the beach. He [Ira] looked at it and said, 'Hey, you! The turtle has come on land!' He said, 'Let's go! Let's go back to the shore.' They all went to pick up the turtle. Ira was the first one to try to lift the turtle - but she didn't move. Then Raparenga said, 'You do not have the necessary ability. Get out of my way so that I can have a try!' Raparenga stepped up and tried to lift the turtle – but Raparenga could not move her. Now you spoke, Kuukuu: 'You don't have the necessary ability, but I shall move this turtle. Get out of my way!' Kuukuu stepped up, picked up the turtle, using all his strength. After he had lifted the turtle a little bit, he pushed her up farther. No sooner had he pushed her up and lifted her completely off the ground when she struck Kuukuu with one fin. She struck downward and broke Kuukuu's spine.The turtle got up, went back into the (sea) water, and swam away. All the kinsmen spoke to you (i.e. Kuukuu): 'Even you did not prevail against the turtle!' They put the injured Kuukuu on a stretcher and carried him inland. They prepared a soft bed for him in the cave and let him rest there. They stayed there, rested, and lamented the severely injured Kuukuu. Kuukuu said, 'Promise me, my friends, that you will not abandon me!' They all replied, 'We could never abandon you!' They stayed there twenty-seven [27] days in Oromanga. Everytime Kuukuu asked, 'Where are you, friends?' they immediately replied in one voice, 'Here we are!' They all sat down and thought. They had an idea and Ira spoke, 'Hey, you! Bring the round stones (from the shore) and pile them into six heaps of stones!' One of the youths said to Ira, 'Why do we want heaps of stone?' Ira replied, 'So that we can all ask the stones to do something.' They took (the material) for the stone heaps (pipi horeko) and piled up six heaps of stone at the outer edge of the cave. Then they all said to the stone heaps, 'Whenever he calls, whenever he calls for us, let your voices rush (to him) instead of the six (of us) (i.e., the six stone heaps are supposed to be substitutes for the youths). They all drew back to profit (from the deception) (? ki honui) and listened. A short while later, Kuukuu called. As soon as he had asked, 'Where are you?' the voices of the stone heaps replied, 'Here we are!' All (the youths) said, 'Hey, you! That was well done!' ...
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