Te Rangi Hiroa. — Maori Food-supplies of Lake Rotorua. 441 



(2.) Kupenga (Nets). 



Nets were used for inanga and kokopu, but toitoi were also caught in them. 

 The same kind of net did for all. My notes are somewhat meagre, as these 

 old flax nets have long since passed out of date, and no sample survives 

 to enable a more minute description being given. The nets were several 

 chains long, and some are reported to have taken as long as three years to 

 complete. They were made in parts, different parts being often allocated 

 to various subtrfbes. When these parts or sections were completed they 

 were assembled and joined together. 



The most important section was named the konae. This formed the 

 middle section of the net, and when the ends were hauled in it formed the 

 belly, which held the fish. It was the first section to be made, and was 

 started by two or three skilled men. They worked on through the night 

 and never slept on their work. In the dark the width of the mesh was 

 measured by the finger-nail. Blind men have been skilled konae weavers. 

 After some progress had been made, others joined in and the work went 

 on quickly. My informants stated that an unskilled man could not get 

 a strip of flax in, as the net was constantly moving. 



On either side of the konae there was a section called the whakahihi. 

 This had a coarser mesh, and served to drive the fish back into the konae. 

 Anaha, the famous old carver at Rotorua, who was alive when these notes 

 were taken, gave different divisions to the nets. He maintained that the 

 sections next to the konae on either side were the upoko roto, then came the 

 whakahihi, and lastly the matatu. Probably this applied to the very large 

 nets, which would thus be made in seven sections. The number of sections 

 led to the following classification : — 



(] .) Kupenga nui, with all the sections described by Anaha. 



(2.) Koroherohe, a smaller net used at Mokoia Island for koura, toitoi. 

 and inanga. This consisted of three sections, the konae and two 

 whakahihi. 



(3.) Pahikohiko, used near the shore, as at Rauporoa. In this net there 

 was no matatu section at either end. A pole was fix^d at each 

 end and the net drawn without canoes, the inanga being driven 

 into the net, or various shoals cut out. 



The nets were, of course, furnished with poito, or floats, made from the 

 whau (Entelea arborescens), and attached to the kaha runga, or top rope. 

 The poito over the middle of the konae was of larger size, and was usually 

 carved. In the large nets there were two additional carved poito, one on 

 either side, situated at the junction of the whakahihi and the matatu. 

 These carved poito often had names given to them. The central one was 

 famous enough to pass into a saying — Te poito whakarewa i te kupenga 

 (The float that lifts the net). Great chiefs were alluded to in these terms, 

 for as the carved float of the konae lifts or supports the net, so the tattooed 

 chieftain of old uplifted his tribe. 



Karihi, or sinkers of stone, were attached to the kaha raw, or bottom 

 line of the net. They were tied to the back of the line so a? not to be worn 

 by the sand. 



The famous nets were named. Such a one was Tipiwhenua, which 

 belonged to the Ngati-Pehi Hapu. It was 300 yards long without the end 

 ropes. Another famous net was Te Whenuataua, belonging to Ngati- 

 Tunohopu. 



When the canoes came ashore with a good catch of inanga the women- 

 folk would be waiting with their baskets to obtain their share. In those 



