56 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



as the top whirled round. Small hurdles were sometimes 

 erected, over which the tops were whipped. The potaka 

 whero rua was a double-ended whip-top, pointed at both 

 ends, and was made to turn ends by means of the whip. 

 Tops were made of matai, mapara, or totara wood. " Kai- 

 hotaka" is given in Williams's dictionary as meaning "a 

 whipping-top," but that term is not used among Tuhoe. 



Some of the humming-tops were made of wood, and were 

 solid like the whip-top. :|: Both were of the same form, save 

 that the whip-top was flat on the top, while the humming- 

 top had a piece of wood projecting from the top vertically, in 

 order to receive the string. This upright piece would be part 

 of the original piece of timber from which the top was made, 

 and was not an inserted piece. The body of the humming- 

 top was also larger and longer than that of the whip-top, and 

 was a solid piece of wood. 



The word "potaka" means a top. " Ta" is to beat, 

 hence the name applied to a whip-top. " Takiri " means " to 

 loosen ; to draw away suddenly ; to start or fly back, as a 

 spring," &c. As applied to the humming-top, the word refers 

 to the mode in which the top is set up by the operator. 



The string used for the humming-top was a thin, strong 

 cord made from fibre of the native flax, the kind of cord 

 known as " karure," which is made by twisting together two 

 miro, or twisted threads of fibre. This string is wound round 

 the piece of wood projecting from the head of the top. The 

 handle or hand-hold by which a purchase is gained is a small, 

 flat piece of wood, and is known as the "papa takiri." It is 

 not slipped over the upright projection of the top as with 

 us, but is held against the side thereof. This papa is about 

 6 in. in length and ^in. in width. 



In former times children liked to see their tops " asleep " 

 when spun. To describe this state the term " neivha," or 

 " anewhancwlia" or " iunewha " is used. In the following 

 effusion, which is a kai-oraora, composed by one Te Horo in 

 revenge for the death of his son Pohokorua, these terms are 

 evidently used as meaning " dazed by grief." 



A Tangi Kai-oraora. 



Pinohia. ki te kowhatu 



Ka korowhivvbicifi. ake tona roro 



Ote tohunga nana nei au 



Koi huna ki te po 



Ui rnai koia — he aha te rawa? 



He manawa whiti, be manawa rere, 



He manawa kapakapa 



Ka noho kai a te ihu. 



* Not that tbe solid tops hummed muoh, but I have no other name 

 for them. They were spun as we spin humming-tops. The gourd tops 

 made a loud humming noise. 



