Ga8-3	Ga8-4	Ga8-5	Ga8-6

The top part of a glyph is the latest part, that is how plants grow (excepting grasses). And ferns illustrate how the top curls around. From this follows that the top part of Ga8-6 must be the latest, and it confirms the earlier identification of the top ball referring to Hau Epa (and the bottom one to Nga Kope Ririva).

Maunga Hau Epa is the 24th kuhane station, and beyond it comes Nga Kope Ririva which marks the beginning of next cycle. If we could move Maunga Hau Epa from Ga8-3--4 to Ga8-5--6, we would find the beginning equals the end (24 is equal to zero):

Ga8-5	Ga8-6	Ga7-8
Maunga Hau Epa		Nga Kope Ririva

How can we work that miracle? I have an intuition it should be done. The first step of the miracle must be to look at these 18 glyphs again (sewing together side a with side b):

This is the other end of the problem. With two halves, the sewing must be done not only between Maunga Hau Epa and Nga Kope Ririva but also between Te Pei and Nga Kope Ririva:

Ga8-5	Ga8-6	Ga7-8	Ga8-26	Gb1-7
Maunga Hau Epa		Nga Kope Ririva	Te Pei

From Ga7-8 there emerges two 'branches' (a 'fork'), and I guess this is the explanation of the Y-sign we have wondered about all the while. Nga Kope Ririva at the southwestern point of the island offers two alternative routes around the island, towards left (in the general direction of Maunga Hau Epa) and towards right (along the southern coast).

The 'fork' at Nga Kope Ririva is a symbol of new life, like a bird nest.

While the route along the southern coast towards the end at Hanga Takaure is rather straightforward, the other route including Hau Epa is more curious (curly). It cannot be found on the kuhane map, which stretches only up to 'full moon' (15 Hanga Takaure):

59		Te Kioe Uri	295		Hua Reva
	Ga2-29	Te Piringa Aniva		Gb3-5	Akahanga
118		Te Poko Uri	354		Hatinga Te Kohe
	Ga5-8	Te Manavai		Gb5-1	Roto Iri Are
177		Nga Kope Ririva Tutuu Vai A Te Taanga	413		Tama
	Ga7-8	Te Pu Mahore		Gb7-3	One Tea
236		Te Pei	472		Hanga Takaure
	Gb1-7	Te Pou		Ga1-1	(Poike)

The path of the kuhane on side a (moving backwards) also stretches along the south coast, it is the first part of it, while the other part from Te Pei is the second part. The kuhane cannot leave the south coast.

But the king can leave the north coast, for instance in his capacity as Dark Rat, and in order to dig for water at Akahanga and Hua Reva.

The kuhane map cannot show Y because she cannot leave the southern coast. In the text of G it is indirectly hinted at though, because the origin at Ga7-8 offers two routes to read - backwards on side a or forwards on side b. Geographically speaking, though, it is the same route, which first must be followed backwards up to the beginning of side a and then, after a jump (in the tablet text only), to be continued from the beginning of side b (not far from where the journey on the tablet started. In reality there is no jump, in the text there is one.

There is a jump in the text between Nga Kope Ririva (by way of Te Kioe Uri) and Te Pei, yet they are physically close among the glyphs:

Ga7-8	Ga8-26	Gb1-7
Nga Kope Ririva	Te Pei

There is a jump geographically from Nga Kope Ririva (1) to Te Pei (7), but in meaning they are close. Both indicate a beginning of sorts (although it is 8 Te Pou which is 7 stations away). Nga Kope and Te Pei are 'zero-stations', and it is as if in the text there is a mirror located between them, which forces the reading into two opposite directions.

From Ga8-26 and Gb1-7 there are 7 glyphs, and Te Pei has ordinal number 7:

Why is not Te Pei the last glyph on side a? I think I know the answer (which of course must have some bearing on the mystery of why Maunga Hau Epa is at Ga8-3--4 instead of the expected Ga8-5--6). I became inspired while reading in Fornander yesterday evening:

"In the Fiji group, where so much of Polynesian ancient lore was deposited during their sejour on that group, several versions of an ancient tradition of the Flood have been collected by the Rev. Thomas Williams, of which he gives the following synopsis in his work called 'Fiji and the Fijians', p. 196. He says of the Fijians -

They speak of a deluge which, according to some of their accounts, was partial, but in others is stated to have been universal. The cause of this great flood was the killing of Turukawa - a favourite bird belonging to Ndengei - by two mischievous lads, the grandsons of the god.

These, instead of apologising for their offense, added insolent language to the outrage, and fortifying, with  the assistance of their friends, the town in which they lived, defied Ndengei to do his worst.

One is reminded of the alleged cause of the outbreak of the Easter Island wars, were also two mischievous insolent lads started it all.

It is said that although the angry god took three months to collect his forces, he was unable to subdue the rebels, and, disbanding his army, resolved on more efficient revenge. At his command the dark clouds gathered and burst, pouring streams on the devoted earth. Towns, hills, mountains were successively submerged; but the rebels, secure in the superior height of their own dwelling-place, looked on without concern.

But when, at last, the terrible surges invaded their fortress, they cried for direction to a god who, according to one account, instructed them to form a float of the fruit of the shaddock; according to another, sent two canoes for their use; or, says a third, taught them how to build a canoe, and thus secure their own safety.

The fruit of the shaddock should be noticed - it is certainly a mythic mark, something to make an impression in the memory banks of the listeners.

(Shaddock, pommelo, Chinese grapefruit - Citrus maxima - from the Philippines. Wikipedia.)

I am thinking of the citrus-fruit forms of some rongorongo glyphs, e.g. some of the versions of vai.

All agree that the highest places were covered, and the remnant of the human race saved in some kind of vessel, which was at last left by the subsiding waters on Mbenga; hence the Mbengans draw their claim to stand first in Fijian rank.

The number saved - eight - exactly accords with the 'few' of the Scripture record. By this flood it is said that two tribes of the human family became extinct. One consisted entirely of women, and the other were distinguished by the appendage of a tail like that of a dog.

Once again mythic marks, and I remember Roto Iti Are:

Gb6-1	Gb6-2

The highest point of the island of Koro is associated with the history of the Flood. Its name is Ngginggi-tangithi-Koro, which conveys the idea of a little bird sitting there and lamenting the drowned island.

Surely there must be a connection with the high summer month Ko Koró. It is at that time the deluge will come and extinguish the threatening 'fire' and at the same time drown the world.

In this bird the Christians recognise Noah's dove on its second flight from the ark. I have heard a native, after listening to the incident as given by Moses, chant 'Na qiqi sa tagiei Koro ni yali', 'The Qiqui laments over Koro, because it is lost' ...

The chant [a Marquesan 'Chant of the Deluge, te-tai-toko] opens by saying that the Lord Ocean, Fatu-Moana, was going to overflow and pass over the dry earth, but that a respite of seven days was granted ...

Were the original legend of the Flood to be reconstructed from Polynesian sources alone, it will be seen at a glance how striking its conformity would be to the Hebrew version of said legend, as well as to the Chaldean in parts. Beside the general correspondence in outline, however, there are minor touches of conformity, such as the truce or respite of seven days before the Flood should come ..."

This respite of 7 days is, I think, the reason for leaving Te Pei until 7 glyphs into side b: