230 Transactions. 



The totara is sometimes termed Te Riu o Tane, because most 

 canoes were fashioned from that timber. This was, in former 

 times, the most prized tree of the forest, the foremost of rakau 

 rangatira. Its timber was the best for canoes and house-build- 

 ing and other purposes. The bark was used for covering houses, 

 and vessels for containing water and preserved foods were made 

 of it. Vessels made for the former purpose were termed patua, 

 and were often used for stoneboiling, as also were kumete, a 

 wooden trough. The bark vessels, made to contain preserved 

 birds, rats, &c, were called papa. Temporary patua, used to 

 hold water, were sometimes made from bark of the mako and 

 houhou trees, but these would only be serviceable for one day. 

 The Tuhoe Natives claim that they recognise the male and 

 female trees of totara. They call the male (too) tree karaka, 

 and the female (uwha) tree kotukutuku. The terms kouwha and 

 karawa are also used to denote the female sex of trees. The 

 outer bark of the karaka or male totara tree is termed tuanui ; the 

 inner bark is called kiri (the common name for bark or skin). 

 The tuanui bark is thick, and peels off in long strips. It is the 

 only kind valued. The kotukutuku, or female totara, has no 

 tuanui bark, but only a thin bark resembling that of the native 

 Fuschia (kotukutuku) tree, hence the latter name has been ap- 

 plied to the female totara. One informant tells me that in ancient 

 times all the totara folk lived together, but that after the contest 

 already described in this veracious chronicle some of them fled 

 to cliffs and rugged lands, there to dwell. Also, that the matai 

 wood that pops when burned comes from a male tree ; that 

 which does not act so is of a female tree. And who am I that I 

 should doubt these things ? 



The thick-barked manuka is also termed the male tree by 

 Natives. This is our "white" manuka. The scientific botanist 

 may tell the simple autochthones that they are wrong. I de- 

 cline to do so, lest I lose my reputation for trusting, childlike 

 faith. 



The bushmen of Tuhoe say, " Only the female trees bear 

 fruit (Ko nga rakau kouwha anake e hua ana). That product! I 

 by the male trees is termed hae (pollen). It is like dust, and is 

 blown and carried by the wind. It is not a real hua (fruit), 

 but a form of pxia (blossom or seed). It is produced by male 

 trees of toromiro, kafiika, matai. &c. All trees are divided into 

 male and female sexes; we recognise the male and female sexes 

 of the totara, matai, kahika, kotara, and some other trees." 



In vol. i of the "Transactions of the New Zealand Insti- 

 tute," page 13 of special essays, is an interesting account of how 

 the Maoris lightened the labours of future canoe-makers by 

 stripping off a piece of bark and a portion of the wood from 

 comparatively young totara. 



