66 Transactions. — Miscellaneotis . 



was Pani who was interfered with by Tuna, who lived in the 

 water. Ngati-Awa say that Pani, she who gave birth to the 

 kumara, was the wife of Eongo-maui. Another legend gives 

 Pani as being another name for Taranga, the mother of the 

 Maui brethren. 



This Puhi has been extremely useful to the Maori, how- 

 ever. Persons of sufficient priestly power could obtain his 

 assistance when in trouble upon the waters, and Puhi would 

 convey them to land. 



The following is a list of names of varieties of eels as 

 known to Tuhoe : — 



Papa-whenua. 



Whakaau. 



Kokopu. 



Paewai. 



Brno. 



Matamoe. 



Mohu. 



Horeivai. 



Bewhareivha. 



Kaiherehere. 



Tata. 



Ngaeroero : A name applied to small eels. 



Three different methods of taking eels were usually fol- 

 lowed — viz., spearing, taking in eel-pots, and bobbing. The 

 eel-spear (maiurau) is an implement about 3ft. in length, 

 and consists of a straight shaft (tdtd) with several tines or 

 points of hardwood ingeniously lashed on to the end. These 

 points are usually of mapara, the remarkably hard resinous 

 inner part of the kahikatea tree, which is left sound and 

 hard after the rest of the tree has decayed. The two small 

 cross-pieces of wood lashed across the tines (ynata) of the 

 spear are termed kauaerua. The lashing underneath is 

 tui ihu. 



The bob used is a small ball of dressed fibre of the 

 native flax, the fibre of which is called whitau, but the 

 green plant is harakeke. The bait (mounu), consisting of 

 earthworms, is tied on to the bob, which again is attached 

 to a fishing-rod by a short cord. The bob is used for 

 taking eels and kokopu. The rod used is called matire, a 

 name which, in Nukuoro, is applied to the bamboo. The 

 use of the rohc, or fish-bag, while bobbing, is explained under 

 " Kokopu." 



Eel-fishing in the day-time w T as formerly done with the 

 spear, but since the advent of Europeans a steel fish-hook, 

 fastened firmly to the end of a stick, and with which the eels 

 are hooked, not fished for, has come into use. Anyhow, the 

 fisher trudges off, sans clothing, and prowls along in the 



