440 Transactions. 



characteristic of the koura, and hence the invention of the korapa. Up 

 came the pekapeka, hand over hand, until the butts of the stalks of the 

 fern bundle appeared above the surface. Then the korapa was gently 

 inserted between the fern bundle and the canoe. The butts of the stalks 

 rested against the lashed end of the korapa just out of water, whilst the 

 mass of the leaves of the fern bundle, still under water, rested against the 

 submerged broad face of the korapa. The two were drawn up together, 

 and just as the leaves of the fern were about to reach the surface there was 

 a quick pull, with leverage against the canoe-side. In the latter stage of 

 this pull the arms were assisted by the naked foot treading on the cross-bar 

 of the korapa. The fern bundle left the water in a horizontal position with 

 the korapa beneath it. The koura, kicking backwards for home, were 

 intercepted by the net of the korapa, and shared the fate of those that the 

 inner recesses of the fern bundle had lulled into false security. The korapa 

 and fern bundle having been brought into the canoe, the leafy end of each 

 stalk was carefully shaken until all the contents rested in the bottom of 

 the canoe. The bundle was then returned to the water, and the canoe 

 drawn hand over hand along the tauhu to the next pekapeka. In this 

 manner the process was repeated to the end of the tau. By this time, if 

 the season were good, the canoe would be laden to the gunwales. 



In ancient times there were thieves, as now, and a good tau was liable 

 to be raided. A thief was known as a korara, and, as he was generally in 

 a hurry, he did not use a korapa, or net. In some cases the owner of a tau, 

 to save himself from the depredations of these fresh-water pirates, would 

 do without a tumu and floats, and thus allow the tauhu line to sink to the 

 bottom. This procedure left no surface marks to serve as a guide for 

 thieves. The owner, to ensure his picking up his tauhu, would mark the 

 line of his tau by selecting landmarks ashore which would lie across this line. 

 When he went to collect his catch he would paddle out till he picked up his 

 landmarks, and then dredge across the line of his tau. This necessitated 

 a dredge-hook, or marau, as part of his equipment. 



The marau consisted of a three- pronged piece of wood, made from 

 the part of a tree where two branches on the same level forked out 

 from the trunk. A stone was lashed between two prongs, and a rope tied 

 to the third or upper prong. With this dragged along the bottom, across 

 the line of the tau, the tauhu was picked up, and the usual procedure 

 carried out. 



That the marau was necessary as a protection against thieves is proved 

 by the song alluding to the Kaiore and Taramoa grounds. In it the poet 

 states that men should live without creating trouble, and not meddle with 

 the tau poito, or tau kept up by floats. 



On some grounds, and in the appropriate season, the tau was also used 

 to snare the toitoi, which took refuge in the fern bundles like the koura. 

 When used in this way the tau was also called a porohe. In the song quoted 

 above, the famous fishing-ground of Kaiore is alluded to as Kaiore tukunga 

 porohe (Kaiore, where the toitoi traps are set). The Eev. Fletcher* records 

 that at Taupo the tau was used for catching kokopu as well as koura. 



Best mentions the fern bundle as being called a taruke at Lake 

 Rotoiti. As he states, the taruke is a trap used for catching sea-crayfish. 

 Probably the Rotoiti people have adopted this word from their coastal 

 relatives. 



* Rev. H. J. Fletcher, Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. 51, p. 260, 1919. 



