CoLEifSO. — Botany of the jSIorth Island of JStew Zealand. 265 



Excellent fishing-lines, of various lengths and sizes, were capitally 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 artkidafum) , 

 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 {Fhormmm), of kiekie {Freyci- 

 netia hanJcsii), 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 {Gor- 

 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 

 (SierocMoe redolens~), when in season, and sometimes with the leaves of the 

 papaauma (Coprosma grandifolid) ; for visitors of rank, however, the fronds 

 of the different tree-ferns were used, particularly of the ponga (Cyathea 

 dealbatd) . 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 

 (JJordyline stricfa) were tied separately for baking in bundles of hangehange 

 (Geniostoma ligustrifoliuni) ; for their kao, or prepared sweet potatoes, they 

 used the leaves of the parataniwha (Elatostemma rugosuvi) ; 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 corymhosa) . was however the one most prized, and 

 also the pate {Scliefflera digitata) ; and a trunk stem of the kohia {Passiflora 

 tetrandrd) was often sought to carry fire on a journey, as it had the quality 

 of a slow-burning match. The green leaves and braiuches of the kawakawa 

 {Piper excelsuni) 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 Gucurlita), 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' JJrvillcBa 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. 

 34 



