Te Rangi Hiroa. — Maori Food -supplies of Lake Rotorua. 435 



With regard to Taoi, who came from Ngati-Maru, an interesting tale 

 is told. There is a long shoal stretching from Owhata to Kawaha. The 

 Maori have an idea that above this shoal there is a distinct ridge in the 

 water, which is called Te Hiwi o te Toroa (the Ridge of the Albatross). 

 Taoi was well tattooed on the buttocks and thighs {rape and puhoro). 

 Uenuku, paddling over the ridge with his three wives, was desirous of 

 letting his other two wives see Taoi's tattooing. He could hardly ask Taoi 

 to expose herself to satisfy the curiosity of the others, so he arranged a 

 diving match to see which of them could bring up a fresh-water mussel 

 from the sandbank below. Taoi had ornaments of albatross-feathers in 

 her ears. She stripped, uttered an incantation, and dived. First an 

 albatross-feather floated up from below, and then Taoi broke the surface 

 with a handful of sand. The purpose had been accomplished — the other 

 wives had seen Taoi's tattooing. In memory of her deep dive the ridge 

 was named, after the albatross-feather that had floated up, Te Hiwi o te 

 Toroa (the Ridge of the Albatross). 



Food-varieties. 



In pre-trout days the lake teemed with food which to the Maori palate 

 was far more appetizing than the introduced trout which has displaced 

 so much of it. The varieties consisted of a shell-fish, a crustacean, and 

 three kinds of fish : kakahi, the fresh- water mussel ( JJnio) ; koura, the 

 fresh-water crayfish (Paranephrops) ; inanga {Retropinna richardsoni) ; toitoi 

 (Gobiomorphus gobioides) ; kokopu (Galaxias fasciatus). Of these the most 

 famous to outside tribes was the koura, which, though found in nearly 

 all fresh-water streams, could nowhere be found in such quantities as at 

 Rotorua. The kakahi had the greatest reputation locally. 



The koura came in in October, and lasted from November to March. 

 They ceased to be fat in April. Inanga and kokopu were in season from 

 December to February, and perhaps to March ; toitoi, from May to 

 September. Kakahi were obtained throughout the year, but were best 

 in the winter. 



In the case of these food-supplies there was no significance in the days 

 of the month, but they were affected by the winds. Certain fishing- 

 grounds were good during certain winds, whilst others were useless. 

 A good wind was that known as Hau-a-uru Tipoki, which lasted about 

 three weeks. Then the Rauporua ground teemed with fish, and the 

 netting could go on for the whole time without the supply becoming 

 exhausted. The moment the wind changed the fish sought other grounds. 

 It would be fitting, perhaps, to give the nights of the month according 

 to the Arawa for the purpose of record :— 



1st — Whiro. The moon is not seen. 15th — Rakaunui. 



2nd — Hohoata or Tirao. 16th — Rakau-matohe. 



3rd— Oue. 17th— Takirau. 



4th— Okoro. 18th— Oika. 



5th — Tamatea-tutahi. 19th — Korekore. 



6th — Tamatea-turua. 20th — Pirikorekore. 



7th — Tamatea-tutoro. 21st — Tangaroa-a-mua. 



8th — Tamatea-tuwha. 22nd — Tangaroa-a-roto. 



9th — Huna. 23rd— Kiokio. 



10th— Ari. 24th— Otane. 



11th — Mawharu or Maurea. 25th — Orongonui. 



12th— Hotu. 26th— Mauri. 



13th— Ohua. 27th— Mutu. 



14th — Atua. Moon rises at sunset, and 2Sth — Mutuwhenua. 

 hence has a red appearance. 



