The chief of any family who discovered and took possession of any unoccupied land obtained what was called the _mana_ of the land. This word _mana_, in its ordinary use, signifies power, but in its application to land corresponds somewhat with the power of a Trustee. Thus _mana_ gave a power to appropriate the land among his own tribe according to a well recognized rule which was considered _tika_ or straight. Such appropriation, however, once made, remained in force, and gave a good title to the children and descendants of the person to whom it had been thus appropriated. The _mana_ of the acknowledged representative of the tribe had then only power over the lands remaining unappropriated, which power was more especially termed the _mana rahi_ or great _mana_—the _mana_ over appropriated land being with the head of the family in rightful possession. In course of time quarrels and wars arose between different tribes, so that tribes nearly allied to each other united for mutual defence and protection; and all the _Maori_ of New Zealand came to be divided, for this purpose, into a few large tribes, each representing generally the crew of one of the various canoes composing the migration from Hawaiki. These being frequently at war with each other, it came to pass that every man who did not belong to a particular tribe was considered in respect to it as a _tangata ke_ or stranger. It has been affirmed by many on presumed good authority that no member of a tribe has an individual right in any portion of the land included within the boundaries of his tribe. Such, however, is not the case, for individuals do sometimes possess exclusive rights to land, though more generally members of families, more or less numerous, have rights in common to the exclusion of the rest of the tribe over those portions of land which have been appropriated to their ancestors. Their proverbs touching those who wrongfully remove boundary-marks show this, if other evidence were wanting. The lands of a tribe, in respect to the title by which they are held, may be conveniently distinguished under two comprehensive divisions. 1. Those portions which have been appropriated, from time to time, to individuals and families. 2. The tribal land remaining unappropriated. Whenever land is appropriated formally by native usage, it descends in the family of its first owners according to well recognized rules, and the _mana_ of the representative of the tribe ceases to have any control over it. Their laws as to succession naturally tended to render the greater part of such lands the property of several of the same family as tenants in common; but an individual might and did frequently become a sole owner. The tribal lands never specially appropriated belonged to all under the _mana_⁶⁴ or trusteeship of the tribal representative.