246 Transactions. 



(and it takes a long time, as I well do know, having tried it) 

 the fire was raked out and the charred surface of the wood 

 chipped with stone toki. This done, the fire was again kindled, 

 and the process was repeated, charring with fire and chipping 

 off, for day after day until the front scarf was considered deep 

 enough. The back scarf was taken out in a similar manner, 

 the work being continued, of course, until the tree fell. Certain 

 charms repeated were believed to be of great assistance in this 

 labour. 



A member of the Ngati-Raukawa Tribe, Tamati Ranapiri. 

 of O-hau, informed me that the tarawaha (scarf) was cut out on 

 that side of the tree facing the wind. Presumably this would 

 be the back scarf, so that the work would be assisted by the wind. 

 His words were, " Ka tuwhera te tarawaha ki te mata o te hau." 

 He used the word karo to describe the chipping-out process. 

 Ngati-Awa use the term patoto to indicate the " bashing " process 

 with the heavy stone axes. 



No level cut could be made in the trunk with an ordinary 

 adze like toki, but it was often used for chipping off the charred 

 inner surface (konga or panga ahi) after the fire was raked out, 

 and for chipping off splinters on the face of the scarf. 



On an islet in the Wai-kare-iti Lake stands a totara tree 

 which some old neolith started in to fell in days gone by, but 

 only cut in the front scarf about 5 in. or 6 in. From the top 

 to the bottom of the scarf is about 30 in. space. The two grooves 

 had been made and the timber between split out. The marks 

 of the stone tools are plainly seen on the heart-wood, but at the 

 edges the sap-wood and bark have grown over the wound. 



Old Pio, of Ngati-Awa, had his little say on this subject : 

 " Te putake o te waka. Ko Tane te rakau, e tu nei i te ngalxereh <r< g. 

 Ka tirohia, pae rua ranei, pae torn ranei. Ka mea te iwi Maori 

 me tua hei waka. Ka hui te iwi ki te tua. Te toki, he toki kohatu. 

 Te rua o nga toki, he ahi. Ka ki te tangata — me noho tonu i te 

 taha o te ahi, i te take o te rakau, i tetehi taha o te rakau, i te i»iu 

 whakahinga. Ka patoto te toki kchatu, ka ka te ahi ki te wahi 

 e patotia ana e te toki kohatu, ka hinga, ka tareia, ka oti, ka what 

 waka." (The origin of the canoe. The tree standing in the 

 forest is Tane. It is examined, and may be two pae [fathoms] 

 or three [in circumference]. The Maori people propose to fell it 

 and make a canoe. The people assemble to fell it. The axe 

 [used] is a stone axe. Another axe [used] is fire. A person 

 says, " Remain by the side of the fire at the base of the tree, 

 on one side of it, at the imu whakahinga." The stone axe dashes 

 against the trunk. Fire is kindled at the place beaten by the 

 stone axe. At length the tree falls, it is shaped, and finished, 

 [the people become] canoe-possessed, &c, &c). 



