262 Transactions. 



net. It was made of very thin strips of flax worked into a small mesh ; 

 this, the central part of the net itself, was called a haka. The rope along 

 the top was called kahanmga, the bottom rope kaharaw, the floats j^oito, 

 and the sinkers karihi. My informant was unable to give me the name of 

 the manuka spreaders. Page 65 of the Bullet in illustrates a bunch of floats. 

 There were two methods of using the net — one from a canoe tied by the 

 middle thwart to a pole firmly fixed in a shallow spot, the other from the 

 shore. When used from a canoe, another canoe started out from the bow 

 of the anchored canoe with from 200 to 500 yards of rope. When this was 

 all out the net was put overboard, roughly at right angles to the line, and 

 when all the net was out the canoe returned to the stern of the anchored 

 canoe with another long length of line. The net was then pulled steadily 

 in towards the anchored canoe. The same process was used from the 

 shore, but in the case of the canoe the lines were coiled up in the bow and 

 stern, leaving the centre free for the inanga to be emptied out of the net. 

 Some of the shallow spots on the eastern side of the lake where the anchored- 

 canoe method was used were the places named Te Rimu, Nga-Parenga-rua, 

 Te Hohonu, Karanga-wairua, Te Tii, Te Purakau, and others. 



There is an ancient story that seems to illustrate the method of fishing 

 from the shore. The date of the story is at least 250 years ago. On one 

 occasion Uru-taraia was using a net in the lake for the purpose of catching 

 inanga. Tutetawha went on board the canoe that was carrying the net 

 and paddled to the place where it was to be used. The net was cast into 

 the water some distance from the shore and then dragged ashore, bringing 

 the fish in front of it. As the ends of the net were brought close to the 

 shore, so the inanga came too, and the stretchers stirred up the fish to 

 the top of the water. Uru-taraia jumped into the water to press down the 

 bottom line of the net, at the same time peering into the water. Tutetawha 

 picked up some stones and threw them into the water to drive the fish back 

 into the net. One of them fell just where Uru-taraia'a eyes were fixed. 

 The splashing of the water wet the whole of his face. He uttered a curse 

 which led to bloodshed at no distant date. 



In addition to the places named above, there were many other places 

 where inanga were caught, the ownership of such places and the right to 

 catch fish in them being carefully conserved. The time of fishing was from 

 September to March. The fish so caught were eaten as a relish with pounded 

 fern-root or kumara, and in modern times with potatoes. They were also 

 dried in the sun and stored for future use. 



A net such as described has not been used in Taupo for many years. 

 The writer has seen a length of scrim used as a substitute. 



KOURA, 



On page 73 of the Bulletin already mentioned there is a good illustration 

 of a Tou koura of the kind used in the olden days at Tau2:)o. The frame of 

 the mouth was made of manuka, the straight j^iece at the bottom being 

 of much heavier timber than the curved portion. The net portion was 

 made of fine strips of undressed flax. An old Maori recently drew the 

 outline of one of these obsolete nets, and from his sketch, which was full 

 size, traced on the road, we could see that the bottom rod was from 6 ft. 

 to 8 ft. long. The length of the net was from 8 ft. to 9 ft., tapering from 

 the mouth towards the back to about 3 ft. from the end. This last 3 ft. 

 was straight, and about 1 ft. in diameter. The sinkers were attached 

 exactly as shown in the illustration referred to. 



