Walsh. — On the Cultivation and Treatment of the Kumara. 23 



" All these storehouses," remarks Mr. Colenso in the paper 

 already frequently quoted, "were rigidly tabooed, as were also 

 the few persons who were allowed to visit them for any pur- 

 pose, all visits being formal and necessary." And he goes on 

 to say that " the labour bestowed on them in those early 

 times before the use of iron was immense, and that they were 

 mostly renewed as to the reed- work every year." 



Cooking. 



Before the advent of Europeans the Maoris, being unac- 

 quainted with the use of metals, had no means of boiling in 

 the ordinary sense. The act. however, was accomplished by 

 means of the haangi, a contrivance common to the whole of 

 the Polynesian race. It is still often used among the Maoris 

 when a large quantity of food has to be cooked, and is gene- 

 rally known among European settlers as the " native oven,'' 

 though the term " steaming-pit " would be a more exact de- 

 scription. To make a haangi a hole about 1ft. or 18 in. deep 

 is scooped in the ground, and of a diameter proportionate to 

 the quantity of food to be treated. The hole is filled with 

 short billets of wood set up on end, with cross-pieces above, on 

 which are placed a number of stones about the size of a man's 

 fist. The wood being kindled, the stones soon become red-hot, 

 and fall to the bottom as the fuel is consumed. The embers 

 are then removed and the stones spread out level. A little 

 water poured from a height raises a jet of steam, which blows 

 away the ashes, and the oven is ready. The kumara, after 

 being carefully scraped and washed, together with any food 

 that is to be cooked with them, as birds, fish, or other kinaki 

 i relish), are piled on the stones and covered with soft fern. 

 Water is now poured in and the oven is quickly spread over 

 with several thicknesses of flax matting, after which a quantity 

 of earth is shovelled over the top and sides and beaten hard 

 with a spade until the steam no longer escapes. In about 

 half an hour the cooking is completed, and the coverings are 

 removed, great care being taken to prevent the earth getting 

 on to the food, which is usually served up in little square 

 baskets of green flax called paaro, a fresh lot being plaited for 

 every meal. 



This was the mode invariably adopted when the kumara 

 was required for every-day consumption, a more elaborate plan 

 being used when they were to be converted into a sweetmeat 

 called kao. For this some of the small varieties were chosen. 

 After being scraped and washed as before, they were dried in 

 the sun for two or three days. They were then wrapped in 

 the leaves of certain aromatic plants and packed in small kits 

 before being laid on the stones. For the kao an extra hot 

 oven was used, and no water was poured in, the only moisture 



