Best. — Maori Forest Lore. 253 



The splitting -wedges were of different sizes. Small entering - 

 wedges (hai toro i te ara) were known as pipi, while large bursting- 

 wedges were called kaunuku. An old Maori saying is this — 

 " Ko te pipi te tuatahi, ho te kaunuku te tuarua " (The pipi is first 

 used, then the kaunuku) — which may be applied to many situa- 

 tions. Bad-splitting timber, with inlocked grain, is described 

 bv the terms puti and humengemenge, and straight-grained good- 

 splitting timber as makohe. The term tahatonga is also applied 

 to timber difficult to split, because it is said to be a peculiarity 

 of tahatonga trees — that is to say, of trees exposed to the south 

 winds. Some Natives state that the bark of trees is thickest 

 on the north side, the side facing the sun. 



A proverbial expression of former times : " He kino tangata, 

 e kore e taea ; he kino rakau ka taea " (Human faults cannot be 

 overcome, but timber faults may be). This alludes to inferior, 

 bad-splitting, faulty timber. 



Having no metal tools, the working of timber was an ex- 

 cessively arduous task to the Maori, and much timber was 

 wasted in dubbing down logs or large balks to the desired size, 

 for slabs, &c. 



When a long-continued rain occurs in spring or summer, 

 the expression whakahapu kakano (seed-conceiver) is applied to 

 it. " It is raining," remarks some one. " Nothing but the 

 trees blossoming and producing seeds (or pollen)," says a per- 

 son 'of knowledge, " for such is the effect of rain during the 

 fourth to the eighth months (of the Maori year) : it causes 

 male trees to blossom." 



The expression taru kahika (ta = causative prefix, hence taru 

 kahika = whakaru kahika) is applied to a light rain in summer- 

 time, or to cloudy, damp weather after rain, with a sea-breeze, 

 or showery weather. Such is said to cause the rata to blossom, 

 and to loosen and distribute the pollen of the kahika and other 

 trees. A person says, " It is raining ; we will get wet." " Not 

 at aft," remarks another, " it is only a taru kahika." 



In Maoriland the year began in winter. Its commencement 

 was marked by the appearance of the Pleiades (Matariki) on the 

 eastern horizon just before dawn, which occurs about the middle 

 of June. If the stars of Matariki are indistinctly seen — do not 

 stand out distinctly- — that is said to be a sign of a cold, un- 

 prolific season to follow. But if these stars stand out dis- 

 tinctly, then a warm, fruitful season follows. The four seasons 

 are — takurua, winter ; te koanga, spring (digging or planting 

 season) ; raumati, summer ; ngahuru, autumn. 



The following expressions are used to denote various kinds 

 of seasons : — 



