350 Transactions. 
two threads twisted together by the miro process on the bare thigh. These 
two cords are then twisted together in a similar manner for a short section. 
“ The operator then holds tightly the end of one of these cords and pushes 
the other back until, instead of enveloping the held cord in a long spiral, 
it appears to be seized round it at right angles." The same result would 
be achieved if one cord were stretched tight and the other twisted round 
and round it to make a close continuous whipping, but of course the Maori 
method is much quicker and simpler. The operation is carried on in 
sections. A section is twisted on the thigh (miro), and then pushed down 
(koneke or pahuhu) ; the next section is then twisted and pushed down, and 
so on until the required length is obtained. At the finish the pushed- 
down cord is knotted round the held cord. Each strand is prepared 
separately. The length of each strand is about 42 in. At either end of the 
seized strand there is a continuation of the two constituent cords. 
those at one end are united by simply plaiting them on in a square plait 
to form the tau, or tying-cord. In the belt described the white cords are 
concealed under the red and black cords so that only the latter two colours 
show in the tau. Each tau is 26 in. long. As the tau thins out, the square 
plait is changed into a flat rauru plait, and the last 4 in. is finished off with 
a two-ply twist ending in an overhand knot. (See Plate 35, fig. 3.) ; 
he many-stranded belt of the ѓи variety must be an old type, as it is 
found in Polynesia. The Niuean kafa is a belt composed of many strands 
of fine braid plaited from human hair. One in my possession contains 
sixty-nine strands, and is 352 in. long. The hair-braid is continuous, and 
looped at either end of the belt to take the tying-cords. Percy Smith (5) 
mentions some as containing over a hundred strands. Similar belts are 
described from Tahiti. 
COOKING-BANDS. 
Bands used in connection with cooking are termed paepae ити (oven- 
bands) in regions on the west coast of the North Island. In other parts 
they are also termed kopae, koropae, , koropaepae, konae, and 
koronae. They are used to place round the circumference of the ити, or 
hangi (earth-oven), to act as a raised rim, preventing the food heaped up on 
the heated stonés from faling out. When the pieces of unburnt wood 
have been removed and the heated stones levelled, the paepae is placed 
in position, the food heaped in and covered with the tapora mats and a layer 
of earth to keep in the steam generated from the water that is sprinkled 
over the food. These bands may be divided into two kinds. 
Paepae raranga : Plaited Band. 
. This a band 4in. to 6in. wide, made from green flax. The method 
is to take four full blades, remove the edges, bend the butts, and split 
down the blades to this bending, as in commencin kono, or cooked- 
with a check stroke through the other three pairs, as shown in fig. 11. the 
upper left marginal weft, 1, is bent over at right angles to its course and 
