Best. — Maori Forest Lore. 24^ 



shattered slate, and in some parts sandstone, limestone, and 

 volcanic tuff. Stone was obtained from the Wai-kato district, 

 and also from the Wai-paoa River, inland of Poverty Bay. Pieces 

 of stone were first chipped (toto) into something like the desired 

 form, and then reduced, made smooth, and brought to an edge 

 by means of rubbing on sandstone — a very lengthy process. 

 The Maori did not use a handstone as we use a hone or whetstone 

 for sharpening purposes : he laid the grindstone on the ground 

 and rubbed the implement on it. Two kinds of sandstone were 

 used by the Tuhoe people as grinders — one, known as totara, 

 is a fine-grained stone of a reddish colour ; the other, termed 

 tunaeke, is a coarser-grained, greenish-coloured stone. In some 

 places, where a surface of suitable sandstone was exposed, imple- 

 ments were taken to it, and the rubbing done there. At the 

 Mimiha Creek, near Matata, is such a rock, in which are many 

 grooves formed in days gone by by the neolithic Maori. Tuhoe 

 obtained the tunaeke sandstone from a small stream near Kaka- 

 nui, at Rua-tahuna. 



Many of the stone adzes of the Maori were given special 

 names, and many are famous in song and legend, such as Te 

 Awhiorangi, Te Manokuha, Te Rakuraku-o-Tawhaki, and Hui- 

 te-rangiora. 



Certain charms were repeated over the stone toki used in 

 felling and working timber, as in canoe-making, hewing out 

 timbers for an important house, &c. Here is a specimen of such 

 •charms : — 



Toki uri, toki uri, toki araoamo 

 Ake koki au i taku toki nei 

 Kia rahirahi to kiki 

 Kia rahirahi to kaka 

 Nohea te toki nei e manihi 

 Nohea te toki nei e manaha 

 Te manaha nui a Tane 

 . Ka whakarongo nui ake 



Nui ake, nui marire 

 Koia ra tutara wiwini 

 Koia ra tutara wawana 

 Nohea i toki ai ? 

 No runga i toki ai 

 Oi! 



Taku toki nei he riponga, he awhenga 

 Homai taku toki 

 Tu mai te toki 

 Haurai — e ! 

 Taiki— e ! 



The following is said to have been a song, of the nature of a 

 charm, which was sung in connection with, or as referring to, 

 the Whatu o Poutini (apparently a term for pounamu, or green- 

 stone) : — 



