346 : Transactions. 
(b.) BELTS. 
Most of the Maori garments used as jupes ór kilts had their own 
strings for tying round the waist. The waist-mat of the piupiu class, and 
the smaller aprons, or maro, were fastened on in this manner. Best (3) states 
that some of the maro were drawn between the legs and fastened behind 
to a belt. On ordinary occasions old woven cloaks were worn round the 
waist as a rapaki, or kilt, and such needed a supporting band or belt. 
A strip of flax, a cord, or a piece of rope was often all that was necessary. 
The kawe, or burden-carrier, was often used by women as a belt. The 
usual way to carry a kawe, when not in immediate use, was to tie it round 
the waist. A single plaited band, of the same technique as one of the 
bands of the kawe, was also used as a belt. (See Plate 35, fig. 1.) 
In addition to these, however, special belts were made. All belts 
come under the generic term tatua. The term tu was also applied to 
the belts used by warriors in battle. In old incantations referring to the 
preparations for combat the word tw is applied to the warriors belt, and 
also to the special incantation recited when girding it on. Such a one is 
the following :— 
Homai taku tu, 
omai taku maro, 
ia hurua, 
Kia rawea, 
Kia harapaki maua ko te riri, 
Kia harapaki maua ko te nguha. 
He maro nguha te maro, 
He maro kai taua. 
Give me my belt, 
Give me m 
The maro is the maro of fierce anger, 
It is the maro that destroys war-parties. 
Men's Belts: Tatua whara. 
butt end of the leaf. The undivided portions help to lock the wefts when 
the plaiting is commenced. It is usual to have all the black wefts running 
the one way, and the white the other. The beginhing-edge is carried on 
for a length of from 36 іп. to 38in. In Plate 34, fig. 1, it will be seen 
that all the sinistral wefts are black and the dextral white. The un- 
. divided butt ends show up well with the black ends forming the upper 
layer, and the white the lower. In the belt figured the black ends are 
much longer than the white. The plaiting is carried on in the usual way 
With a twilled stroke. In the belt in Plate 34, fig. 2, there are, from the 
bottom or beginning, five horizontal rows of alternate white and black. 
