228 Transactions. 



The titfiki, rimu, hinau, and taiva trees do not produce fruit 

 every year, according to my Native informants, but only when 

 they like (kia puta tana hiahia), then they fruit (katahi ka hua). 

 A rimu tree may go several years without producing fruit. From 

 the seeds of the titoki the Maoris formerly expressed an oil which 

 was used for toilet purposes. A strong bag was woven of strips 

 of flax-leaves, being about 6 in. in diameter and 3 ft. in length. 

 This bag was termed a ngehingehi, or kopa whakaiciri titoki. 

 The seeds were placed in it, and the mouth of the bag tied up. 

 The bag was then pounded with a club, so as to crush the seeds. 

 At either end stood a man, who held an end of the bag firmly, 

 and, by turning in opposite direction, sufficient pressure was 

 obtained to express the oil contained in the berries, or at least 

 a portion of it. One authority states that hot stones were placed 

 among the crushed seeds to increase the flow of oil. This oil 

 was placed in gourds, and scented by means of placing therein 

 certain aromatic leaves, &c, as those of the heketara, koareare, 

 manuka, and the kopuru moss. We have representations of a 

 similar instrument used by the ancient Egyptians, who, however, 

 obtained increased purchase by winding the confining cord round 

 the long bag in a spiral manner, attaching one end to one side 

 of a square wooden frame, and passing the other end through 

 a hole in the beam on the other side of the frame. This end 

 was then secured to a wooden bar. which gave a great power 

 to the twisting process. Colenso gives a saying I have never 

 heard — " Ko nga rangatira a te tau titoki " — applied to a person 

 of low birth who obtains some of this toilet-oil in the season 

 when the titoki tree bears plenty of fruit. That man is a chief 

 only in the titoki season. The Tuhoe people have a saying, 

 " Apa he peka titoki " * (When a man dies, his branches— 

 children — live after him, unlike branches of the titoki. which die 

 for ever). This rendering may be correct, but it conflicts 

 with several other sayings, as, "Apa he peka a bit'" (Food 

 products grow again when planted, but man when buried 

 appears no more). 



Toi, a species of fungus, is not. 1 think, a Tuhoe word. It is 

 applied to a kind of toadstool that grows in deserted huts. &c. 

 Toi ivhenua is a term used by Te Atiawa — the people of a place. 

 the permanent or original inhabitants. 



The introduced dandelion (tohetaka) has a very firm grip on 

 \'\\ Zealand. Its leaves are sometimes eaten by Natives, 

 cooked as greens. " Kai te moe 1mm i<< tohetaka " (The dandelion 

 .still sleeps) is said of a late sleeper. That plant does not open 

 its Blowers until the day is well aired. 



* In full. "' //' peka tangata, «/<" /" peka titoki." 



