T. H. Smith. — On Maori Implements and Weapons. 431 



plant. The process was called wliatu imiocru. In texture 

 and workmanship, substance and durability, these fabrics 

 excel the similar productions of the other islands of the 

 Pacific, and were made without the aid of either the spinning- 

 wheel, the shuttle, the loom, or of any apparatus beyond four 

 pegs stuck into the ground to form the four corners of a frame, 

 with a pair, or perhaps two pairs, of skilful hands. 



The turupou, or pegs, were about 1ft. or 18in. long, 

 generally ornamentally carved at the top, and placed at 

 proper distances according to the size of the garment to 

 be made. To these were fastened the threads forming the 

 alio (the warp — though called the woof in the diction- 

 aries). With the alio, which was fourfold, were knotted a 

 number of threads of the ivken^t (the woof) until the intended 

 width of the fabric was attained. The ivlienu is the woof, as 

 it represents threads carried by the shuttle between the rising 

 and falling threads of the warp in the ordinary process of 

 weaving. The Maori method, differing from ours, is to raise 

 and depress alternately two of the alio threads, at the same 

 time crossing them by bringing the two outer over the two 

 inner ones, which thus become outer ones ; this forms a knot, 

 which holds the woof-threads. It will be seen that thus, 

 instead of the shuttle-thread or woof being carried between 

 alternate threads of the warp, the warp itself is manipulated 

 and brought over the shuttle-threads or woof. 



By this process were woven a great variety of garments, 

 much pains and care being taken in the preparation of the 

 muha, or flax, more especially that used for the finer garments. 

 It was spun or twisted into thread by the simple process of 

 pressing and rolling between the palm of the hand and the 

 knee two strands of the muka. A twist, tight or loose as 

 required, is thus formed similar to one produced by spinning 

 in the ordinary way. The border, taniko, at the bottom of 

 the kaitaka was not made in the same way as the rest of the 

 garment. The art of making the taniko border, however, if 

 not lost, is, I believe, known to very few of the Maoris them- 

 selves at the present day. The kaitaka is peculiarly the 

 garment of a chief, and was worn fastened over the right 

 shoulder. The koroivai is more usually worn by females of 

 rank, and was worn wrapped round the body and fastened over 

 the left shoulder, or in front, if fastened at all. Other gar- 

 ments, the foundation of which is flax, are made with strips of 

 dogskin, as the ihupuni or topuni, and the kahicwaero, made 

 from the long hair of the tail of the Maori dog. There were 

 also garments made with feathers of birds, as the kahic kiwi 

 (kiwi feathers); the kaJiii, wcka; the kakapo (ground-pai-rot — 

 greenish feathers). These were incorporated or interwoven 

 in the process of the lohatu. There were also coarse gar- 



