ConENso.— Botany of the North Island of New Zealand. 265 
Excellent fishing-lines, of various lengths and sizes, were eapitally spun by 
the hand from the dressed fibre of the New Zealand flax ; and for hooks, 
the tough naturally curved stems of the climbing-fern (Lygodium articulatum), 
and the roots of the shrub tauhinu (Pomaderris ericifolia), hardened by fire,. 
were sometimes used; human bone, however, being always preferred. Canoe 
sails were manufactured from the leaves of the raupo, laced across with the 
fibres of New Zealand flax; while the hune, or downy pappus of the seeds 
of the raupo, was used for caulking and plugging holes in their canoes. 
Useful floor and sleeping mats, of all sizes and of several patterns and kinds, 
were woven of leaves of New Zealand flax (Phormium), of kiekie (Freyci- 
netia banksii), and sometimes of toetoe (Arundo conspicua). Baskets, large 
and small, plain and highly ornamented and dyed, for all manner of uses, 
were woven of the same materials ; and sometimes the leaves of the ti (Cor- 
dyline australis), and of the nikau-palm (Areca sapida), were also used for 
the same purposes. Their sitting and sleeping places were strewed with 
the leaves of the toetoe, or of raupo; with the soft fragrant grass karetu 
(Hierochloe redolens), when in season, and sometimes with the leaves of the 
papaauma (Coprosma grandifolia) ; for visitors of rank, however, the fronds 
of the different tree-ferns were used, particularly of the ponga (Cyathea 
dealbata). The New Zealanders were often curiously particular as to what 
plants were used, tied around, or under and over their vegetable food, in 
. their cooking ovens in the earth; for instance, the roots of the tikoraha 
(Cordyline stricta) were tied separately for baking in bundles of hangehange 
(Geniostoma ligustrifolium) ; for their kao, or prepared sweet potatoes, they 
used the leaves of the parataniwha (Elatostemma rugosum) ; generally, how- 
ever, they used the fronds of the larger ferns, Lomaria procera and Goni- 
opteris pennigera. Fire, by friction, was obtained from several woods ; the 
kaikomako (Pennantia corymbosa), was however the one most prized, and 
also the pate (Schefflera digitata) ; and a trunk stem of the kohia (Passiflora 
tetrandra) was often sought to carry fire on a journey, as it had the quality 
of a slow-burning match. The green leaves and branches of the kawakawa 
(Piper excelswm) were gathered and laid in rows in their plantations of 
kumara or sweet potatoes, between the beds, and there slowly burnt, that 
the insects which injured the growing plant might be destroyed by the 
disagreeable bitter smoke. The hue, or gourd (a species of Cucurbita), gave 
useful calabashes, and vessels of several kinds and sizes, from a gill to three 
gallons, for many purposes. Sometimes, however, large sections of the 
great sea-weed, rimurapa (D’ Urvillea utilis), were inflated and used as cala- 
bashes, called powha, particularly for holding cooked animal food in its own 
fat, and for oil. The bark of the totara was also skilfully 
made up into 
neat vessels, for holding and carrying of water. 
94 
