52 MAT CLOTHING. [PART I. 



who live continually with Europeans, the drinking 

 of spirits has already become a habit, but it is not 

 as yet very general. Our bread is a much-desired 

 article with them, and in the European settlements 

 the baker receives the greatest part of their earnings. 

 It is well known that the custom of drinking kawa, 

 the juice of the root of Piper methisticum, prevails 

 in many of the South-Sea Islands. The real Piper 

 methisticum does not grow in New Zealand, but 

 a cognate species, the Piper excelsum, which also 

 bears the name of kawa, but is not used to prepare a 

 drink. 



All their clothing was formerly made of the 

 Phormium tenax. The mode of manufacturing 

 it is very simple, and consists merely in intertwining 

 perpendicular threads with others extended horizon- 

 tally. The beauty and durability of these mats are 

 well known, but making the most common one 

 occupies a woman full six months, and one of the 

 best requires a much longer time. They are of dif- 

 ferent descriptions. 



E kaitaka is made of the finest flax : it is white 

 and silk-like, with a strong black border, beautifully 

 worked with angular designs in red, very much re- 

 sembling some of the drawings on Mexican tombs. 

 These mats are worn at festivals, and form the 

 principal article of presents. When dyed black 

 they are called waihinau. These are very beautiful 

 and scarce. 



E koroai is a white mat with black strings, and 



