Bansrow.—On the Maori Canoe. 76 
communicate with the riu, or hold; one or more of these apertures were 
supplied with a tiheru, or bailer, for toughness’ sake made of mangiao wood; 
for many a sea in rough weather would break on board, and were it not for 
the caulking (purupuru) with huni, or flower of raupo, a supply of which the 
women had gathered in the swamps, much water would have found its way 
through the joints and holes. The native substitute for oakum is impervious 
to wet when properly applied. 
The next process is to paint our vessel; and for the prevailing red colour 
in fashion, karamea, a species of clay, which needs to be burnt before being 
applied, is most valued. The parts to be coloured are first cleaned, then 
sized with juice of sow thistle and the poporo shrub, after which the karamea, 
mixed with water, is rubbed on; this yields the most brilliant colour, and 
is very lasting. Kokowaiis a kind of pigment, burnt, dried, and mixed with 
shark-liver oil. This is a good deal darker than the former. 
The batten, carved stern, and head, if a wakataua, are usually blackened 
with powdered charcoal, or lamp-black and oil. The wakatetee has usually 
ared head. On gala days the taka would be adorned with albatross feathers, 
and wreathes of pigeon or wild duck feathers flutter upon the stem and 
stern. 
The equipments are still to follow. According to size, sixty to a 
hundred paddles are requisite. One very large canoe, formerly in Taraia’s 
possession, could seat 140 paddlers ; but the hiwi of this was 96 feet long, 
the projecting stern and stem adding 14 feet to this huge length. It is said 
that Toki-a-tapiri could stow fifty on each side, steer-paddles, too, which are 
much longer than ordinary ones, and usually with carved handles. 
Then the masts (rewa), steps for which have been left when the riu was 
hollowed, with the booms, and cordage, and the queer sails, supposing 
our canoe was made as far back as forty years ago, must not be forgotten. 
These last, ere the days of duck or calico, were made of long leaves 
of the raupo, kept in their places by an interlacing of flax-twine (aho); 
the butt or wide part of the leaf was uppermost towards the boom, the small 
ends of the leaves converging to a point at the tack, making thus a trian- 
gular sail. Two or three masts were used according to the canoe’s length, 
and small as the amount of sail appeared to be, I have seen a great pace 
obtained under raupo alone. 
We yet want a plaited flax cable, and an anchor. Of these last there 
were three varieties: an oblong stone, with a hole through the smaller end, 
a stone enmeshed in a netting of flax or vines; or three or four crooked 
pieces ef pohutukawa lashed together with a stone between the shanks and 
the curved points, forming a rude grapnel. 
Sometimes, though the hull might be new, the carved portions of worn- 
