444 Transactions. 



until it is considered that it can stand the strain of having the canoe drawn 

 towards it from the end of the rope. It will be noticed that the rope is 

 tied to the bottom of the turuturu so as to take the strain and prevent 

 leverage. If not skilfully and firmly planted, when a strain is put on it 

 the turuturu comes up. This was considered an ill omen, and was called 

 he take maunu (a loosened support), and in olden days the man who planted 

 such a turuturu would promptly be struck with a taiaha or club. If he 

 were man enough he would guard the stroke, leap overboard, and swim 

 ashore, no matter how far. 



The turuturu having been securely planted, the canoe paddled away 

 from it. - The whanake rope was paid out until the end was reached. As 

 the canoe paddled towards the end of the rope a landmark was taken to 

 keep the line of the canoe. The net was now put over the side. The 

 sinker was lowered first and allowed to tighten up before the net left the 

 hand. If this were not done the net would be liable to get twisted and 

 the arch go under, causing the paepae to be dragged along upside down. 

 This accident was called karitutu, and resulted in no fish being caught. 

 On hauling up an empty net the disappointed fishermen would say, E, i 

 karitutu ta taua kupenga (Alas, our net was upside down). 



Enough rope was paid out to ensure the paepae resting on the bottom. 

 The drag-rope of the net was then tied to the canoe. The canoe was 

 hauled by the whanake rope towards the turuturu, and the dredge-net, tied 

 by its rope to the canoe, was dragged along the bottom. The man 

 hauling on the rope had the opportunity of " putting on side " by stretching 

 out with full-arm reaches to grasp the rope and then straightening his back 

 in a spectacular manner. This was the correct thing to do : Kia maro 

 te tuara (Straighten the back). Either hand was used alternately, and the 

 bight of the rope as it came in was dropped in a figure-of-eight coil — not 

 in a single coil, as with Europeans. The canoe was not hauled too close 

 to the turuturu, lest it should be loosened. When near enough, the rope 

 was tied to the canoe and attention directed to the net. The experts 

 could always tell as they hauled in whether there was a good catch. The 

 weight of the crayfish caused the paepae to lift and the net to roll about. 

 Ka tahurihuri te kupenga, he tohu kua mou te koura (When the net rolled 

 about it was a sign that koura had been caught). As the net came up, 

 the pouwaenga was grasped and the framework lifted clear of the sides of 

 the canoe ; the other parts were then drawn in. 



If the net was filled with koura more than the span of the two arms it 

 was an evil sign — he iro tanqata. The tale would be whispered round the 

 village, Ko te kupenga a mea, na te waha o te paepae i whakahoki te koura 

 (The net of So-and-so, it was the mouth of the net that stopped the koura). 

 This was a sign of death — an aitua, an inati. 



The crayfish having been emptied out of the net, the canoe was paddled 

 back to the end of the rope ; but by carefully observing their landmark 

 a spot was made for a few yards to the right or left of the last drag. This 

 was done on each drag, so as to ensure the same ground not being gone 

 over twice. In the old days a couple of drags would secure a quantity 

 equal to the contents of a sack or two. Often there would be a dozen 

 canoes on the same ground competing one against another. 



Sometimes a canoe was tied to the turuturu and remained stationary 

 whilst another canoe worked backwards and forwards to it with the 

 drag-net. In this case there were two ropes tied to the base of the 

 turuturu. One was drawn taut and tied to the bow of the stationarv 



